A Different Story
by auzziewitch
Summary: Elizabeth is bored of being the invisible child and wants to be noticed and cared for. Better Summary inside. WE Please R&R.
1. Prologue

_A new story from me, that is going to be multi-chaptered (everyone jumps and cheers for joy at the prospect)._

_This idea came to me an hour ago, and I had to write it. I have no idea what's going to happen only that it shall come to me as I write, and whatever you want me to do._

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**Title: A Different Story.**

**Rating: K for the time being, may get higher as the story goes.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, story or anything else of _Pirates of the Caribbean_. That all belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer and the wonderful people at Disney.**

**Summary: Elizabeth Swann is sick of being ignored by her father and her five older siblings, and by the society that she lives amongst. She needs an escape and someone other than her maid to care for her.**

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Prologue

Elizabeth Swann sat on the stairs, looking through the railings at the people coming to and from the parlor to the sitting room to the dining room to out onto the deck overlooking the bay. She sighed to herself, wishing that she could join in the conversation with the many beautiful women, and attract the attentions from the numerous attractive young men.

But no, she was the youngest of four daughters, and two older brothers, and her father wanted her to have the chance of being a child before she had to deal with the material seeking young men, and the incessant blabber the young and old women talked about endlessly.

"Miss Elizabeth, really?" She heard her nanny, Esther Rowbottom scold her, rushing down the stairs and hauling her back up them into her room. "Your father does not want one of his guests to catch you spying on them all, and have to explain to them why you haven't been presented yet." She scolded her charge. "We do not need another repeat of what happened when Mrs. Fitzpatrick saw you." She waggled her finger at the young girl.

"But Esther I'm bored up here listening to all the fun they have downstairs." Elizabeth moaned. "Why can't my father present me? He is holding a party in his own home and I am stuck up here, wondering how many people in this town remember that the Governor has six children and not five." She huffed, collapsing onto her bed.

Well, it was true that the reason 18 year old Elizabeth Swann hadn't been presented into society, was because her father wanted to protect her. The fact that her eldest sisters, Charlotte and Victoria were already married, and her other sister Georgia very close to being so, was of little consequence. The fact her brothers Thomas and Arthur were both married and regularly abroad – Thomas, along with being the heir to the Swann estate, was also very good friends with the Royal family having spent the later years of his youth in England studying with the Prince of Wales, and thus living the high life in London, whilst Arthur was quickly rising in the Naval ranks – was also irrelevant.

"It's not fair Esther. Why does my father continue to protect me? Georgia was sixteen when she was presented, and Victoria was fifteen when Charlotte was presented at seventeen. I am eighteen years old, what is he trying to protect me from?" She complained as Esther shut the door behind her. _And why do I still have a nanny? I am eighteen years old, not eight _she thought bitterly to herself.

The old woman sighed. "Your father loves you, and he wants what is best for you." She said, pouring some tea into a cup and drinking it.

"He loves my sisters, and Charlotte is to give him a grandchild in the coming months." She exclaimed darkly, walking to her balcony door and staring down at the people.

"Miss Elizabeth, you forget that there is a much smaller gap between Miss Charlotte and Miss Victoria, than there is between you and Miss Georgia, and that Victoria was newly engaged when Georgia was presented." She sighed stepping up to her young charge and resting a hand on her shoulder. "Wait and see what happens with young Miss Georgia and Mister Cassidy." She asked kindly, stepping closer.

Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder at the woman, sighing reluctantly. Esther smiled at her. "Come my dear; let us prepare you for bed."


	2. Meetings

_I couldn't hold off putting this chapter up at a later date, so I thought, 'what the hell'_

_Warning: The rating goes up in this chapter, now K+ (let me know if that's too low/high)_

Meetings

It was barely dawn when Elizabeth awoke. Smiling to herself, she silently crept from her bed, careful to avoid the floorboard that always creaked, and silently changed. Once she was decent, she snuck from the room, down the stairs and sneaking down to the beach.

She was amazed at how active the town was already. There was clanging coming from the Blacksmith, a fire brewing in the bakers, and a hub of activity at the docks.

"Good morning Miss Swann." She heard herself being addressed and turned to see one of the few handsome men in the town smiling at her as he walked towards her.

"Good morning Captain Norrington." She smiled, bowing her head. "Are you going out to sea this morning?" She asked as he joined her, taking her hand and placing a kiss on the delicate skin.

"No. We received another ship from England last night and are dressing it." He smiled at her as they began walking in the direction of the docks. "I trust your father and sisters are in good health after the party last night?" He asked.

"I can only assume as much. I have not spoken with them as the sun is yet to rise, which was why I came down here so early so I could see it." That was one of the few things she loved about Port Royal, it faced due east, and on some mornings the sun rising was perfectly framed by the bays distant headlands.

"Oh I shan't keep you from it, in that case. Good day Miss Swann." He bowed in front of her and continued his walk to the docks.

To be truthful, Elizabeth wasn't that disappointed to see him go as she wanted nothing more than to be alone. At the beach, she began walking as far from the bustle at the docks as possible, and within thirty minutes she had walked so far towards the northern headland, that she felt she may as well continue.

When she rounded a corner she felt nothing but disappointment as she saw the sun blazing full above the horizon. She sighed to herself, before feeling the intense heat the morning sun had to offer, and immediately understood why so many of the town's tradesmen were working at night.

She felt the back of her dress stick to her skin and hot moisture cover the entirety of her body. The water in front of her sparkled a bright turquoise blue, but the hot wind hitting her face did little to cool her down.

As she stared at the gently lapping water 10 feet in front of her, a devilish idea crossed her mind. As soon as it entered her thoughts, her fingers were undoing the buttons at the front, before the light cream gown collapsed in a heap around her feet in the sand. A moment later she was pulling her chemise over her head, leaving her naked on the secluded beach.

It felt invigorating and strangely erotic as she felt the harsh caress the hot wind held against her bare skin. She quickly found a rock that would keep her clothes from blowing away, and a moment later, was running into the water.

The water was as cool as she had imagined as she dived into a small wave approaching her. She waded out until the water came up to her neck, and there she allowed the water to fully cool her body as she stared up at the bright blue sky.

She lost track of how long she stayed in the water until she saw the new ship Captain Norrington had been speaking of, the Interceptor, beginning to sail. She immediately swam to the shore, ran up to her clothes and ran into the bush, dressing as quickly as possible. When she had her clothes back on, she began to run back to the town, knowing her father would be awake and petrified that she was missing.

As she had been running she hadn't noticed the dark clouds come from the other side of the island she had been swimming on, and when she felt the drops of water fall onto some of her exposed skin, she groaned.

"Miss, miss!" She hoped whoever was shouting wasn't aiming it at her so she continued running, with no intention of stopping, at least not until someone grabbed her hand and spun her around.

It was beginning to rain heavily, but Elizabeth didn't notice as all she saw was the pair of dark brown eyes staring at her, the hard hands on her arms, and the radiating warmth his body was emitting. The man smiled at her and Elizabeth was spellbound, feeling her heart beat rapidly in her chest.

"Miss, you dropped this." He held up a locket in his hands, and Elizabeth couldn't look at the ornate work on the silver, but could only stare at his hands which were covered in grime and grease, his nails short but still enough dirt piled underneath them. But Elizabeth strangely didn't care.

He noticed her staring. "Miss, is this your locket?" Elizabeth, startled turned to his face, and felt her heart melting. He was by no way a man, as he appeared to be no older than twenty, but at the same time he was not a boy either.

Finally she turned her head to the locket in his hand. "No, no that is not my locket." She said, feeling her voice crack

He nodded, dropping his hand, and releasing her wrist, even though he had no recollection of still holding it, for all he could feel in his hand was the purest and softest silk. "I'm sorry Miss, I shall leave you." He bowed his head and moved to walk away, but this time it was her who grabbed his arm.

"Pardon me sir, but who are you?" She asked, the rain she was beginning to feel as he wasn't as close to her as before.

He smiled at her. "William Turner." He smiled at her.

"A pleasure Mister Turner." She smiled, stepping backwards, and slowly releasing his arm.

"Please, call me Will." He smiled and Elizabeth was certain her heart _would _melt.

Instead she felt her knees tremble, and made certain, that before she collapsed in front of Will, she bid him good day and ran back up the hill.

The moment she walked into the house her father appeared in the entrance hall. "Elizabeth where have you…" he stopped as he took in her disheveled appearance, the commonest dress she owned, and the great puddle of mud and water at her feet. He didn't continue his sentence, instead just looked down his nose at her, which always made her feel like a child.

"There you are Eliza…" Her sister Georgia entered from the Dining hall. "My, my, my Elizabeth what have you been up to this morning? You look positively medieval." Elizabeth glanced at her sister who was standing with her best friend, Abigail Hest, who was badly attempting to stifle a giggle.

Elizabeth hung her head, glancing back at her father, and defiantly holding her head high announced, "I awoke before sunrise and went for a walk, but I lost track of time and when it began raining I ran back here as fast as I could. Now if you could excuse me, I need to go and change."

She was halfway up the stairs when she looked heard her elder sister and her friend, in a giggling fit leave the entrance hall. "She'll never find herself a husband like that." Georgia was saying.

Elizabeth stopped and looked down to see her father watching her. "Captain Norrington sends his regards." She said before continuing up the stairs.

"Miss Elizabeth, thank heavens." She heard Esther exclaim, rushing towards her.

"Not now, Esther. I would like to be alone." She announced, stepping into her room, locking her door behind her.

Once inside, she silently changed out of her wet clothes, dried herself and changed into a dry chemise, before collapsing onto her bed, listening to the heavily pelting rain. She hated her father. She hated her sister. She hated everyone. Tears began to roll down her face as she thought about what had just transpired, but one thing held her back: Will Turner's smile.

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_If you like my story and want me to continue, please review._


	3. Family Dynamics

_I'm trying to keep the updates regular so I don't loose my train of thought, or forget the ideas that pop into my head. And thanks for the reviews I have received thus far (and remember to keep them coming or I won't continue updating.)_

Family Dynamics

Elizabeth Swann was as accomplished as a young woman could be with her father's fortune, connections, and place in society. However, there were still many departments where Elizabeth had much to learn.

She spoke French and Latin, although both were broken and not perfectly fluent. Whilst she was a talent at the Pianoforte, she was by no means exceptional, and her voice, her governess had told her at the age of seven, was not to be displayed.

"A dog can howl better." She had said, causing Elizabeth to run to her room and cry for days, for her sister Victoria was such a wonderful singer, that it hurt Elizabeth that she could not be the same.

Elizabeth had since overcome her failures as a singer, and thus only ever performed for her family with a sister singing, or wouldn't perform at all.

There were many things that Elizabeth also refused to do. Sewing and embroidery she did know how and when asked she could certainly create a beautiful pattern for a cushion, but her talents with a needle were displayed rarely.

As a child, Elizabeth had found her mother's oil paints, and then "destroyed" the dining table, as her father declared when he saw the bright blue flowers she had painted around the legs. Ever since, she had been hooked, but in her later teenage years, her father had done his best to stop her.

Elizabeth, thus, spent most of her days in a corner of the Library, staring out the windows showing the beach and the driveway, reading one of the many books the Swann family had collected during their time in Port Royal. Recently, what she was most looking for was the naval ship that her brother had sailed away on some months earlier.

Oh how desperately she missed her brother. He was the only person who ever seemed to acknowledge her, and it had been so since she was born, when Elizabeth's mother had taken ill, and had been so until she had died of pneumonia two months after the family arrived in Port Royal 10 years earlier. Her brothers, after the funeral, had taken all their siblings to the beach, and whilst Thomas had played Dad, Arthur had spent the entire afternoon playing with the young Elizabeth, making sandcastles, and splashing her with water when she did venture into the water.

They had all returned to the house, Thomas and Arthur in particular, happier then when they had left it, but the brothers happy for their youngest sister was exhausted, and sleeping in her eldest brother's arms.

Ever since that day, Elizabeth had been incredibly thankful to have such men as brothers. Her happy days as a youth began to change when Thomas went to England to study, and had since never returned. Her day's lost their happiness when Arthur got into the Port Royal Navy, and whenever he would return from his voyages around the Caribbean he would sleep in his room, and work.

Elizabeth sighed as she turned back to the book she was reading, her thoughts off with her brothers and wondering when they would both return to their home. She had completely forgotten what the book was about, only that it was a book that her father regularly read, so therefore it had to be a decent read, for her father never read anything that wasn't decent. Elizabeth however, was finding this book to be an incredible bore.

"Good lord, Elizabeth!" Her sister's voice broke the silence Elizabeth was so enjoying. "What are you doing locked away up here?"

"Reading." Elizabeth responded as monotonously as possible.

"I can see that. What I would like to know, is _why_ are you reading?" Georgia asked, walking to one of the book shelves and fingering the spine of a selection of books.

Elizabeth smirked to herself. "So I don't have to put up with your whining voice that Alistair is yet to call at the house." She looked at her sister and smiled smugly at her.

Georgia looked at her sister as she turned back to her book. "You wouldn't happen to be in here, or over there specifically so that you can see when a naval ship enters the bay?" She asked walking up behind her sister.

"So what if I am?" Elizabeth responded, turning a page, making a show that she **was **actually reading the book, and not just the one chapter.

"Arthur was sailing for England, not just the routine trip about the Caribbean." Her sister responded, sitting down in the chair opposite Elizabeth.

Elizabeth looked up at her sister sharply. "No he wasn't." She said, not hiding the pain in her voice.

Georgia mocked surprise. "He didn't tell you? He's taken a commission in the Royal Navy in England, so that he could see Thomas more." With this she stood and made to leave the room, a malicious smile on her lips that her sister couldn't see.

"So there is no word for when he is to return?" Elizabeth asked her sister, her voice cracking.

Her sister smiled sadly at Elizabeth and it incensed her. "No. He won't even have arrived in England yet." And she left the room.

Elizabeth felt her eyes watering, and she slammed the book she was reading, glancing out the window, and choked out a sob. She left the book on her father's desk, before fleeing the room in a fit of tears, not noticing her sister standing down the hallway, a grin on her face.

"That will teach her." She whispered to herself before heading downstairs.

Elizabeth had lost track of how long her tears had been pouring from her eyes. All she could remember was flying from the Library and to her room, slamming the door shut as she raced in, collapsing onto her bed.

Nothing would rouse her, the maid informing her that dinner was ready, nor Esther asking her to change for bed. She was too upset.

It wasn't like Arthur to leave for England without a party to mark the occasion, or even telling her. She knew how he didn't want to live in a country that was so much colder than Jamaica, from the regular correspondence that he had with Thomas. And before she realized it, she wasn't crying because both her brothers were gone, but because she had believed her sister, who had told Elizabeth such a fable as payback for Elizabeth's remark that Cassidy hadn't called at the house.

Not long after this discovery hit Elizabeth, sleep overcame her and the following morning her bed was weighed down, and when she awoke, her brothers were sitting at the end of her bed, watching her sleep.

"Seven years later, and you're still a late riser." Thomas chuckled, before Elizabeth flung herself upon him, this time earning laughter from him and Arthur. "Yes it's good to see you too." He chuckled as the force of Elizabeth's hug pushed him over.

"What am I, a potted plant?" Arthur asked watching the scene before him.

Elizabeth released her oldest sibling before moving across the bed to her favorite brother. "I'm so glad you're both here." She said into his ear.

"Well we're both glad to be here too." He responded.

Elizabeth made a mental note as she held her brother that she would never listen to a thing that came out of Georgia Abigail Swann's mouth, again.

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	4. Matchmaker

_(Insert appreciation for reviews here)_

_Warning: This chapter is loooooong_

Matchmaker

Elizabeth was left to dress by her brothers, and spent a total of 10 minutes in her room before flying down the stairs, to listen to her brothers speaking with her father and Georgia.

"And when will Anne and the children grace us with their presence?" She heard her father ask Thomas.

"They are currently down at the beach. Little Gideon and Arabella have never been to a beach before, and Anne herself has never been to a beach so clean. They will certainly be here shortly." Thomas spoke, noticing Elizabeth enter the room. "Lizbeth!" He cried.

"Father, you cannot keep my brother's inside, they have only just arrived, have they not." She turned to her brother's whilst Georgia bit her tongue; she knew better than to insult her sister in her father's presence.

"We arrived late last night." Arthur spoke.

"Well you have thus been indoors for too long during the day. You must come down to the beach with me. I must meet this lady who stole my brother's heart." She smiled to Thomas who grinned.

"I agree with Lizbeth." Arthur spoke. "It has been far too long since I had the pleasure of traversing this island without a uniform. And it shall be good to speak with my dear sister." He smiled at Elizabeth who beamed at him.

Governor Swann sighed from his seat. "Well, if you insist on going outdoors, I shall leave you too it. I have a matter of business that I need to get onto."

"Not that he ever doesn't." Arthur and Thomas smiled at each other.

"Georgia, you should go with them." Governor Swann looked to the oldest remaining daughter in his household.

Georgia stood and smiled politely. "No thank you, father. There will be plenty of other times I shall be able to speak with my brothers. And Alistair should be dropping by today."

"Alistair?" Thomas mouthed to Elizabeth who immediately rolled her eyes, biting her lip to hold back laughter. She gently patted her eldest sibling's chest, an indication that she would speak about it later.

Governor Swann nodded, exiting the room, shortly followed by Georgia.

"Come. Let's to the beach." Elizabeth exclaimed, grabbing her brothers and leading them out of the house, as they laughed at her exuberance.

--§--

Given it was fast drawing on midday, Elizabeth was surprised to find the beach near empty, apart from whom she could only guess to be Thomas' wife Anne, playing in the shallows with their two children.

"There's Anne." Arthur mentioned as the trio all chatted endlessly about everything that had happened.

Thomas smiled as he spotted Anne a short distance away, running towards them and leaving Arthur and Elizabeth alone to speak.

"So come now, tell me how the both of you arrived here in Port Royal together?" Elizabeth asked before noticing that the ship Arthur usually sailed on was missing. "What happened to the _King George_?" Elizabeth asked.

Arthur sighed. "We were sailing about the Spanish Isles, when a pirate ship attacked us. Unfortunately we were low on gun powder, and the pirates, although they didn't come and claim the ship, blew it to pieces, before disappearing. All we sailors swam to a small island, where we lit a bonfire and hoped that somebody would see it. A few hours later, a ship appeared on the horizon, and when a row boat landed on shore, Thomas jumped out and we discovered it was the ship from England. Thomas and I have since spent far too much time together and I've been doting uncle to Gideon and Arabella, now I just want to kick back, relax, and spend time with my baby sister."

Elizabeth smiled at him, going through all emotions necessary as she listened to her brother speak. "I'm glad you're okay." She smiled hugging him as Thomas and Anne walked towards them, each carrying a child.

"Anne, you already know my brother, but this is my baby sister, Elizabeth." Thomas made the introductions, and the two women curtsied to one another.

"It's good to finally meet one of Thomas' sisters; I hear so much about you all." Anne smiled.

Elizabeth smiled in response. "Thank you, but I'm certain you shall lose your good opinion of your husband once you have all four of us daughters in the same room with him." She teased her brother who playfully poked her.

"By the way, this is Arabella." He smiled at the young girl in his arms. "And somewhere behind all Anne's skirts, is Gideon." Elizabeth noticed a small head popping out from behind Anne and smiled.

"It wouldn't be the first time a Swann has hidden behind some skirts." Elizabeth smiled at Anne who was looking down where her dress was being gently tugged.

"This one is getting tired. I should take them up to the house." Anne looked to her husband who nodded, placing Arabella, who looked to be around five years of age, on the sand.

"Certainly." He placed a quick kiss on Anne's lips, who, after bidding her farewell's to the group, led the children away.

Elizabeth smiled as she watched the trio walk away. "Is she always so hands on?" She asked Thomas who laughed.

"No, never, but she relishes the opportunity when Mrs. Blackwell, the children's nanny is unavailable." Thomas responded, before starting the remaining trio on a continued walk, away from the naval docks. "You still haven't told me who Alistair is." He stated smirking.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, and Arthur chuckled. "Do you dislike him so much?" He asked.

Elizabeth shook her head. "Oh no, Alistair Cassidy is such a sweet man, at least, from the few times I have met him. It's just how Georgia reacts to him. She mopes about the house when he doesn't visit, and every morning talks of nothing other than seeing him, and she talks of nothing more with Abigail Hest." Elizabeth sighed, at which both her brother's laughed.

"Has father still not had you presented?" Thomas asked, glancing at Arthur.

Elizabeth sighed looking down. "What have I done wrong? Or is it just that he has three children well married, another soon to be engaged, and two sons with decent occupations?" She exclaimed her temper erupting.

Arthur rested a hand on her back, rubbing his hand over the fabric of her gown in calming motions.

"I'll talk to him." Thomas breathed, and Elizabeth looked up at him excitedly.

"You will?" She looked at her eldest sibling with great hope.

Thomas smiled. "Of course I will. You are eighteen years old, Lizbeth, and are quickly becoming an old maid and once father hears that, he shall be greatly disappointed with himself."

Elizabeth flung her arms about her brother's neck, squeezing him tightly. She couldn't recall a moment when she had been happier.

"Brother, I think she is happy." Thomas rasped as he watched Arthur laughing. "Unfortunately, if she continues to hold me so, she shall be greatly disappointed as I can't breathe." Elizabeth immediately released him, apologizing to him, but having her apologies waved aside.

Elizabeth was so happy that she didn't notice the man whose smile had made her heart melt, approach the group.

"William!" Arthur called as he approached, and the two men shook hands tightly, before Arthur introduced him to Thomas. Elizabeth however, stood transfixed, staring at the new addition to the party, which Thomas noted, subtly elbowing her in the ribs, whilst at the same time, noticing how Mr. Turner constantly tried to look anywhere else but Elizabeth, for when he did glance in her direction, he couldn't stop staring at her.

"I hate to be a burden on your group, but Lieutenant Swann, Captain Norrington has been looking for you."

"Lieutenant?" Elizabeth turned to her younger brother.

"I got promoted just before we left Port Royal." He looked at the ground, before Elizabeth hugged him as tightly as she had hugged Thomas.

"I agree with you Thomas, she does kill you." He choked and Thomas could only laugh as Elizabeth hastily released him, before he turned to Will.

"Now, William, please, I am not in uniform, therefore I am not to be addressed so formerly." The Lieutenant gently patted Will's back. "But as the Captain is searching for me, I had better go." He placed a kiss on Elizabeth's cheek. "See you back at the house." He jogged off the beach, waving as he went.

"So tell me, Mr. Turner," Thomas began as Arthur disappeared, and William too made move to leave the siblings. "Forgive me, but I have not been in Port Royal for just under a decade, and thus I know nothing about you."

Will, still trying to force himself to look at the older man than at Elizabeth, who was going through fazes of blushing, and staring straight at him, wishing for him to smile.

"My mother is Adelaide Turner, and I am the eldest of three boys." Will began, albeit uncertain as to what Thomas Swann wanted to hear.

"And your father?" Thomas cut in as they began walking, Elizabeth slightly behind the two men, which William preferred slightly.

"My father left us some years ago." Will stated, looking straight out in front of him, hoping that Thomas wouldn't press the matter.

Thomas seemed to take the hint, but resolved to speak with Arthur about it. "And your profession; your brothers? You look to be little over 25 years of age."

Will smiled weakly. "My birthday is three months away, and yes, I shall be turning 25." He answered. "My mother wishes I would find myself something to do, as my brother Joseph has recently been enlisted in the Royal Navy, and Anthony is stating how he wishes to study the law. I, it must be admitted, have spent the past seven years or so living of my inheritance and standing up for my mother who hasn't been seen in society's circles as much as she would have liked."

"Is she sickly?" Thomas asked, and Elizabeth too, listened intently for she knew very little of the Turners.

"No, she is in good health. But my father leaving has been the main reason. She has thus sent me to every party she is invited too, hoping that if I at least do not find myself a profession other than the Blacksmithing I have been doing in recent times, I must find myself a wife." He explained, kicking some sand out in front of him.

"You are a Blacksmith?" Thomas asked confused.

"More the apprentices, apprentice." Will chuckled. "Henry Cooper and I used to play together as children, and a few years ago he asked whether I would like to learn how to make a sword as I use them so often and always seemed to come and watch him work when he had one to make. I'm currently making a sword for Capt…" He paused glancing at Elizabeth and Turner.

"Captain Norrington?" Elizabeth asked, and Will had to look at her, and found her as breathtaking with the sun shining than when the rain was pouring down on her.

Will hung his head. "Forgive me, I shouldn't have said anything."

Thomas nodded, remembering how whenever a naval officer or military man was promoted to high ranks, he received a new sword, but he kept this thought to himself, and instead, returned the topic to lighter matters. "Well Mister Turner, my sister shall hopefully be presented to society in the coming weeks, and when she is, you must pay her attention, and in the process prove my father to be a fool for keeping from the society of Port Royal it's most beautiful flower."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at her brother's comment, but couldn't help but beam at him, and blush strongly, whilst William Turner had no option to look at the young woman, whilst her brother watched him intently.

"Yes it has." Will responded quietly to Thomas's remark.

Thomas smiled at the young man's obvious interest and patted himself on the back. "Lizbeth, we have been in the sun too long." Elizabeth glanced up at the sky noticing how the sun had indeed moved a great distance from when they first arrived on the beach.

"Yes we should, and father has probably arranged for the Newmarket's and the Ibsen's to join us for lunch." She moaned, hoping that wouldn't be the case for then Thomas would not be able to speak with her father about her being presented for a while.

Thomas nodded before turning to William. "Mr. Turner, you should join us for lunch. If nothing has changed these past ten years, there shall be more food on the table than for the number sitting round it."

Will glanced at Elizabeth, and saw an expression in her eye, which he thought was hope, but at the same time he did not want to be a burden for the aging Governor. "I shouldn't." He began.

"Nonsense!" Thomas exclaimed. "Come, you shall be my guest."

Will sighed dejectedly, realizing he had no choice but to comply with Thomas Swann, and the trio headed up to the house, Thomas in the lead, deliberately leaving Will to escort Elizabeth up the hill.


	5. Another Walk on the Beach

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_Sorry for the delay, I've been busy. And, hopefully, updates in the future will be weekly_

Another Walk on the Beach

Thomas stood by his word, and that evening pulled Governor Swann into the Library and reminded him of his youngest daughter Elizabeth Constance Swann. Although Thomas felt as though his requests fell on death ears, his father did take them into consideration, especially given that Turner boy spent most of the night trying not to stare at Elizabeth.

It was also evident, that Thomas Charles Weatherby Swann did not know of the fate of the Turner's, and Governor Swann had no intention whatsoever of having any member of his family marry into such sorts.

What Thomas's speech did awaken inside of the old man, was that he was holding onto his last daughter with every ounce of his being, so that he would not loose the final thing his late wife had left him.

In the end, he was left in his library, a whiskey in hand, staring out at the darkness that was the bay, considering everything that he had given his children. He had allowed Thomas to return to England, where he had since rubbed shoulders with the Royal family, married, and now had provided another heir for the Swann line.

Arthur, he had allowed to join the Navy, and now he was a Lieutenant, with a promising future.

Charlotte he had allowed to marry for love. Yes James Newmarket came from a privileged background; he was by no means Governor Swann's first choice for a son in-law, especially being a husband to his eldest daughter, as he was presumptuous, arrogant and perfectly intolerant to other people's feelings and wishes.

Victoria had married well, and she knew it. Henry Ibsen was a Scandinavian farmer, by way of Virginia in the New World, and had gathered such a sum of money and agreeable reputation which made Weatherby Swann perfectly inclined to grant him permission to marry his second daughter.

Georgia was marrying only for money, and Governor Swann was aware of this. As the Cassidy name was second to the Swann name by way of fortune and power in the small community of Port Royal. However, Alistair Cassidy was also a wonderfully amiable man who had on many occasions showed such care for Georgia, that Weatherby wondered why he hadn't done such things when he was courting his wife.

Then Governor Swann thought about his youngest child. He remembered all the attractions the young men of Port Royal society provided, especially the militia and naval officers and hoped that these traits would woo his youngest daughter into matrimony, as the Governor was aware that Captain Norrington held an interest in the young woman, always asking after her and such, and he had hoped that Elizabeth would eventually find herself with the man.

But Elizabeth, who was as yet to be presented, had attained herself the attentions of a fine man no less, were it not for the young man's unfortunate familial relations. He was a sword maker, occasional Blacksmith, had a brother who was in trade, and his own father was a pirate!

No, Weatherby Swann would not hear of his youngest child being linked to such sorts, and resolved that she must be presented at the earliest possible party, and thus be wooed by the many and numerous suitors who would undoubtedly prove to be a much better match.

--§--

Elizabeth awoke the following morning, but she could hardly call it morning as her room was still clouded in darkness. Unable, however, to fall back asleep, she made her way to her balcony, and when she noticed the thin line of light appearing, she raced into her room as quietly as possible, and changed.

When she was dressed she crept down the stairs, and out of the house, again neglecting to leave word. But she didn't care, for she so desperately wished to see the sun rise from the point, and as she raced down the hill, she thought of asking William Turner to join her, as it was grossly indecent for a young woman to be alone.

As she ran along the street that the Turner's lived on, she glanced over her shoulder to be sure that there was plenty of time, and in the process ran into the young man she was looking for.

"Miss Swann, good heavens!" He exclaimed catching her as she stumbled.

"Shhh!" She hushed, although she was not certain why. "I have something I wish to show you, and if we do not hurry, we shall miss it!" She whispered hoarsely.

William glanced at the house he had just come from, and thought about turning down her offer as he needed to complete Captain Norrington's sword before the end of the week. But she had such beautiful eyes that he found himself agreeing to her request, and a moment later was being dragged down to the beach, then along it, as fast as possible in the direction of the north point.

"Miss Swann, where are you taking me?" He asked behind her as they left the town behind them, light growing.

"You'll find out in a minute, but we must hurry!" She responded over his shoulder.

Five minutes later they rounded a corner and found themselves staring out at the ocean, the sky at the horizon line glowing light shades of pink, orange and yellow. "Isn't it beautiful?" Elizabeth whispered, finding a rock and sitting down on it.

Will didn't notice initially what Elizabeth was talking about, as he couldn't take his eyes away from her beautiful face, perfectly framed by her golden hair and the deep maroon dress that was hanging of her form, just, at her shoulders.

He turned his eyes from her, and looked out to sea, and observing Elizabeth sit down, he joined her.

They sat there for close to an hour, watching the colours, and the sun rise from below the water, making the rippling water sparkle. Elizabeth was aware that William spent the majority of that time staring at her, and whenever she would catch him, she would blush, and he would too.

Unconsciously, Elizabeth leaned against Will's shoulder, feeling his warmth, and his arm drape itself behind her back and onto her shoulder.

As the sun continued to rise high against the horizon, Elizabeth chastised herself for wearing a winter gown in the middle of summer. If it weren't for Will being on the beach beside her, she surely would have stripped herself of her clothes, and swam in the water as she had the last time she had dared to leave the house before dawn.

"It's getting hot." She whispered, noticing Will had discarded his jacket and his shirt was unbuttoned down to his naval. All she could think of as she glanced at his heavy jacket, then trying not to stare at the revealed skin of his torso, was how she wished she could shed a layer of clothing to be comfortable.

"It is." Will responded, turning his attention to her form.

"How cool do you think the water is?" Elizabeth asked, looking at him, standing and wandering to where the water was rolling into the sand.

"Beautiful." Will responded breathlessly. A light breeze was lazily lifting Elizabeth's hair and sending it fluttering about her. Beyond her, the sun was hitting the rippling sea causing it to sparkle, the combined effect making her appear to him to be a clothed Venus.

Elizabeth glanced at him, startling herself when she realized Will had moved to be standing directly behind her. The effect of his surprise had her lose her footing and fall into the path of an approaching wave. She let out a light squeal, but Will could only laugh as a now bedraggled Elizabeth looked up at him.

"That wasn't funny!" She shouted at him, splashing water at him.

"Was too!" Will retorted, running away from her, with her following.

They ran about, splashing in the ankle-deep water, chasing each other. Their fight, which had initially begun with Elizabeth chasing Will, quickly turned into Will chasing Elizabeth, with her squealing madly as he caught her. They were having such fun that they didn't notice a pair of eyes watching them from the bushes beyond the beach.

On the beach, Elizabeth had stopped in front of Will, in an effort of dodging him, which didn't end as planned, with Will crashing into her back, tumbling them both into the moist sand.

"You did that on purpose." Elizabeth groaned as Will's much heavier body when compared to her, landed quite ungracefully atop her.

Will was going to respond but couldn't, finding him was unable to take his eyes away from her face.

It was the perfect moment, lying on the beach, sand in each other's hair, with both completely forgetting the world around them, just staring into each other's eyes. All that was to be done was for Will to lower his face to hers, and take her in a kiss. Will seemed to know this, and as he was lowering his face to hers, they both heard a twig crack from beyond the beach and tree line. After they'd turned away, a considerably larger wave than the previous rolled into both of them, causing them both to cough and splutter as salt water attacked them.

The moment was broken, but Will, as he stood, offered Elizabeth a hand, pulling her up.

"I should get you back." He spoke to her feet, more so that she (hopefully) wouldn't see his blush.

Elizabeth nodded, looking from his crown to her own feet. They then returned to Port Royal, neither speaking, because they didn't know what to say.


	6. A Dream Broken

A Dream Broken

At the house, Elizabeth didn't receive a lot of reproaching, mainly because there were servants scurrying about the house carrying armfuls of flowers, drapes and other various decorations. Elizabeth recognized them as being party decorations, and her heart plummeted.

Again, her father was holding a party in their house that she wouldn't be attending.

She dropped her head and headed up the stairs in the direction of her father's study, hoping to find him there. At the door she could hear voices, but couldn't determine whether or not they were voices of important people.

Quickly glancing down at her attire, she judged herself to be decent enough. She rapped on the door and waited for a response.

"Who is it?" Her father's voice sounded.

"Elizabeth."

"Ah yes, come in child."

Elizabeth placed her hand on the door knob and entered, to find inside the room her father, brothers, Arthur with a smile on his face, and Thomas trying to hide a scowl. With them was Captain Norrington, who bowed and smiled as Elizabeth entered further into the room.

"Elizabeth, your brother Thomas has come to me, requesting that you be presented into society." At the sound of his words, Elizabeth became gleeful. "I am sorry dearest, that I have not done this sooner, but the time has come for me to see reason. We are holding a party here tonight and you are to be presented."

Elizabeth in that moment forgot propriety and rushed to her father taking him in a large hug.

"Now, now, now, now, child, don't get too excited." Her father smiled at her exuberance. "When the Captain here heard of my plans, he instantly came here and requested to be by your side during the proceedings." Her father turned his head in the direction of the Naval Captain, and immediately Elizabeth understood why Thomas was hiding a scowl. But, by the order of politeness, she faced Norrington, bowed her head and thanked him for offering.

"But surely, father." She continued. "It would be better to be presented with my brother." She waved her hand towards her eldest brother.

Thomas looked surprised at her. "Lizbeth, surely you must understand that when a man of Captain Norrington's standing makes such a request, it should not be stopped." He voiced.

Elizabeth dropped her head. "Certainly it is, I do not know what I was thinking." She apologized.

"It is no matter." Norrington spoke. "And please, Miss Elizabeth, call me James." He smiled at her.

Elizabeth returned his smile, though not with as much excitement as he had shown her. She turned back to her father and addressed the one question that had been on her mind since she'd discovered she was to be presented.

"Shall William Turner be attending tonight, father?" She didn't notice James' face go sour, or her eldest brother's turn to interest.

Weatherby Swann looked up at his youngest daughter from his seated position behind his desk. "Why do you ask?" He smiled at her.

"Because I have come to recently think of him as a friend, and thus when I am presented tonight, I should like for him to be there to see it." She reasoned.

Thomas smirked to himself, knowing full well that his baby sister liked Mr. Turner. It was as he was looking away from his sister that he glanced James Norrington's look of utter disgust.

"I don't see why he shouldn't be." The Governor finally spoke. "And I don't see why he won't be as his mother always makes sure to send him to all the parties and events." He went on.

Elizabeth, full of glee, turned to each of her brothers, smiling at them brightly. Arthur had a weak smile on his face as she faced him, but Thomas was bright.

"Well if you'll excuse me, I must return to my wife." Thomas bowed and exited the room, and shortly after, Elizabeth and Arthur did as well, leaving the Naval Captain and their father alone.

The brother and sister walked along the corridor until they reached the only parlor on the second floor.

"Lizbeth, do you know anything about William Turner?" He asked her as she was sitting down.

Elizabeth looked at him confused. "I know he is a woman of ranks son; that he spends his time making swords; that his father left him and his family when he was young."

Arthur smiled to himself. "Yeah, I thought not."

Elizabeth, again looked at her brother confused. "What do I not know, brother? Tell me."

Arthur looked to his feet for a moment as he sighed. "The senior William Turner, or Bill Turner, left Port Royal almost twenty years ago to go pirating." Elizabeth was stunned. "He married above his station when he was wed to Adelaide Price. Why she chose a man of such little standing is unknown. Together they had three children, but three months after their youngest son, Anthony, was born, Port Royal was attacked by pirates. Bill was so intrigued by them, that he began reading about the life of a pirate, and less than three months later, he was gone. Mrs. Turner has been unable to show her head in polite society since then, more for the shame of her mistake at marrying below her station. She sends William out to every party she hears of.

"But Elizabeth, you have to understand something. Bill Turner's disappearance has affected his sons more than you realize. No father of daughters is going to allow a Turner to marry into their family, which is why father will not have your friendship with William turn into anything more."

Elizabeth was crushed, dropping her head away to hide a tear. "Is what you're trying to tell me, that there is no hope for Will and me, and that I would be better to fall in love with James Norrington?" It was harsher than she meant it to be, but all she could hope for, was that Arthur saw her frustration.

Arthur in return, dropped his head. "Yes."

Elizabeth had heard enough. She stood and walked out of the room, ignoring her brother's pleas for her to return. Once she was in the hallway she sprinted along the long hallway to her bedroom. There she locked her door, and flung herself atop her bed sobbing.

--§--

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	7. A Debutante's Mindset

_I'm not very happy with this chapter, I'm not completely sure why. Any way's, you're probably all going to respond, 'oh I can't believe you don't like this chapter, it's so good!'...well, that's what I've heard before._

Don't forget, another update will come in the next week, because I'm so unorganized and have to come up with a plan for writing and posting...that made sense.

ENJOY THE UPDATE! 

A Debutante's Mindset  


Elizabeth was certain she should have felt more excited. This was her debut into society, her first party, the beginning of her life as a woman. But as the festivities of the night progressed, Elizabeth was certain she looked bored.

The night had begun well. She had dried her tears when her maids came to dress her. Her father had collected her around seven. At seven thirty they entered the main parlor, and after a few moments, Governor Swann passed off his youngest daughter to Captain Norrington.

To Elizabeth, this was all a blur.

When she had raised her eyelids to scan the gathered people around her, and spotted Will's head bobbing a small distance behind a group of women, the only smile of the night had appeared.

But James wouldn't let her go. He was always around, even when she was talking to some young ladies; he was nearby chatting away merrily with some person of some significance, glancing in her direction regularly.

Finally the night had come to an end – an early one however for Elizabeth, who felt incredibly fatigued as she was falling asleep in the middle of conversations at nine.

Alone in her room, she had undressed quietly, silent tears of yearning spilling. She didn't realize how close she had come to William Turner in the few days she had known him, and now, knowing that he would be refused by her father if he made any attempts at courting her, was such a foreign pain in her chest.

She blew out the few candles, collapsing onto the bed, stretching her arms and legs. But sleep didn't come.

From the window, the noises of the party downstairs could be heard; the laughter and general murmurings of people below rising up high. Elizabeth lifted herself from the bed and headed to the doorway leading to her small balcony.

In the fresh night air, she sat down, leaning against the railings and watching the movement beyond the glass windows, within the bright orange room.

"Lizbeth?" Thomas's voice seemed to echo throughout the room.

Elizabeth didn't realize she had been crying as she wiped her eyes of moisture before her brother found her. "You startled me." She sniffed.

Thomas smiled, sitting down beside her, his back against the rails. "I know about Turner." He said. "Arthur told me."

Elizabeth sighed. "What does it matter? His father abandoned his family to become a pirate and thus I cannot receive affection from a man my own age."

Thomas sighed in response. "You know society is flawed when a man is judged by his father's actions."

Elizabeth laughed throatily; bitterly. "I've spent less than two hours in society and I already know that."

Thomas laid his arms across his sister's shoulders, pulling her towards him into a hug. As he did so, she began to cry again. Thomas merely cooed to her, rubbing his hand across her back comfortingly.

She didn't cry for very long, and after about ten minutes, escaped his grasp. "I'm sorry Thomas, but I would like some sleep." She sighed, standing.

Thomas nodded, following her to his feet. "Good night, little sister." He smiled, kissing her hands.

Elizabeth watched him leave, moving to the bed, and falling into a troublesome slumber.

--§--

_This is becoming a bad habit._

The early morning glow was once again radiating through Elizabeth's room as she awoke that morning. Initially she tried falling back asleep again, pulling a pillow over her face to block the light.

But sleep didn't come.

She sat up in her bed and looked around her room. She had no intention of heading for the point as she was still rather tired, and she was aware she would get there too late. Instead, she decided to head down to the beach.

She dressed with no real effort of maintaining silence, and when she was ready to be seen by others eyes, she left the house, forgetting that most of the house would still be asleep and she would wake them.

The air outside was crisp and cool as she heavily walked down to the beach. As she drew closer to the trade centre of the town, the smithy especially, she half hoped Will would appear.

At the door to the smithy she paused, and rested her hand against the rough wood frame. The sight of her long nails, her delicate feminine fingers against the splintering darkness, she observed as an almost perfect metaphor for her relationship with Will: incorrect.

She felt a tear begin in her eye, but wiped it away before it could spill.

She continued heading for the docks.

There was little action at the pier. The fleet's newest ship, the _Interceptor, _supposedly to become the fastest ship in the Caribbean, rocked gently at the far end of the pier.

Elizabeth walked along the stone road to the meeting of sand and wood. She continued up the pier, rolling her eyes as she observed the ships two guards sound asleep against a barrel.

"Sailors!" She exclaimed to herself quietly.

She listened to the sounds: the sea lapping at the wooden poles, the gulls above beginning their morning chorus, the distant sounds of the town centre, trumpets playing up at the fort.

As she neared the _Interceptor _she heard the unrivaled sound of soldiers marching down to the docks.

"What are you doing?" she heard behind her. "You were meant to be awake!"

"I was awake! I was resting my eyes."

"If you were _resting your eyes,_ as you so claim, you wouldn't have slept throughout the break of dawn!"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at the sense the two sailors were making as they continued arguing beyond her, getting to their feet and rubbing out the signs of sleep from their uniforms.

"You!" One of them noticed her.

"It's Miss. Swann, thank you." Elizabeth not-so-politely reminded him.

The other elbowed the man who had seen her. "Apologies Miss Swann, but this dock is out of bounds for civilians." He smiled at her, bowing awkwardly. Elizabeth noticed the man he had elbowed rolling his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize." Elizabeth hurried away from the docks, realizing at that point that James Norrington would be leading the soldiers leaving the fort. "It shan't happen again."

She quickly walked along the beach, constantly looking over her shoulder. When she saw the soldiers appear, she quickly ran up into the line of trees beyond the beach, and from there headed back up to the house.

Seeing the sunrise was no longer appealing when James Norrington was attempting to court her. No, no matter what her family thought, she could never think herself capable of falling in love with a 40ish naval Captain. Elizabeth wanted romance and adventure to come from a man who was interested in her, and possibly to marry her, and she was certain Captain Norrington only wanted to marry her so that children could be borne to him.

So she continued to run up the hill, all the way, until she felt the hot Caribbean sun belting her sweat-stained dress. She was relieved to find the house still moving silently, only the servants awake.

She dashed into her room, shutting the door and leaning heavily against it as her chest heaved.

"Miss. Elizabeth, thank heavens. Come, I have your bath ready." Elizabeth turned to see Esther looking weakly down her nose at her charge.

Elizabeth allowed the woman to drag her behind the screen and undress her, before pushing her into a bath filled with warm water. At this point, the older woman left Elizabeth, allowing her to relax.

It was at this point that Elizabeth made a point of ignoring everything Arthur had told her about William Turner. He was young, handsome, and a respectable man. Elizabeth was the youngest of six, the eldest were already married, occupied with a job, or were nearing marital bliss. Elizabeth was set as Esther returned to wash her properly, then pulled her out of the bath and prepared her for the day. She wanted Will Turner.

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	8. A Pirate Father

_And once again I come with an update._

A Pirate Father

Will Turner was at the back of the smithy laying some final touches into the Captain's future sword when he watched Elizabeth run up the hill. Seeing her with Captain Norrington the night before had crushed him.

He hated his father – more, detested the man. Will was certain he was falling in love with the Governor's youngest daughter, and wished he had been able to kiss her the morning before. Captain Norrington was the perfect choice for a son-in law. He was highly respected in the community, had no unfortunate relations, and had a considerable commission.

What did Will have? A pirate father. It didn't matter that he was the heir to his mother's fortune, or that his younger brothers were working hard to escape their father's shadow. William Turner was a respectable man thus, but his surname would always haunt him.

When he was done laying the gold on the sword, he placed it on one of the work benches, took one of the other swords he was making, shoved it into the hot coals before pulling it out, and pounding into it with the hammer.

This was his release, his display of anger. When he felt his shoulder aching, his hand burning with blisters, he dropped the hammer, wincing as it hit his toe, and placed the sword in the protector behind the donkey.

He hopped to a chair, and removed his boot, examining his toes to see if there was any damage. When he was satisfied that all that had happened was bruising, he replaced his shoe, but just sat in the chair, taking a moment to relax. He grabbed the bottle of his master's rum taking a mouthful and allowing the strong liquor to flow down his throat. He shook his head quickly, blinking and breathing deeply as he placed the bottle back on the shelf.

"Henry!" He called to his friend and workmate. "Feel like a duel?" He asked as the other man appeared around the corner.

"Always, mate."

--§--

Elizabeth left the house later that afternoon. Georgia was busy entertaining Alistair, who seemed to have finally proposed to her, given the cries of happiness that came from the parlor a few minutes before Elizabeth left the house. Arthur was at the fort, Thomas was house hunting, and her father was in his study with some person important.

Elizabeth headed for the smithy, enjoying the sun beat against her body, the humidity indicating more rain was to come.

At the smithy, however, she was disappointed to discover that Will had returned home for the day.

The Turner household was one of the larger houses in Port Royal. It was built of a light stone and reminded Elizabeth of some country cottages she had seen in paintings from England. Inside she was directed to the parlor, and not long later, a short, plump woman, who had signs of distinct beauty, entered the room. Elizabeth immediately assumed her to be Adelaide Turner, William's mother.

Elizabeth stood to greet the woman but she held out her hand, motioning for her to remain seated. "I have long since lost the reason for young people to see me as greater." She moved towards Elizabeth.

"From my understanding Mrs. Turner, your husband's actions should not result in your being inferior to me." Elizabeth responded with mild levels of fear.

The older woman stood above her, looking down at Elizabeth and smiling almost cruelly. "You are a stupid girl." Elizabeth was almost certain she was about to be hit. "You are here because you have feelings for my son. I am not a fool Miss Swann. I hear my son speaking of you. And I also know that if your father were to know that you are here, he would be most displeased." She turned away from Elizabeth, moving to the sofa opposite.

"Forgive me, but I have five older siblings, three married, one engaged, and another holding a respectable position in the Royal Navy. I feel that I should be entitled to,"

"Do what you want? Marry whomever you choose?" The older woman interrupted. "You forget child that I hear about what happens at all parties and on the streets. I know you were presented into society last night, and that you were escorted by Captain Norrington for most of the night. The Turner name has been forever tainted by my husband's actions. Even if he were to return, nothing will come of it. My sons shall never be able to marry women such as yourself, no matter how pleasant, amiable or gentlemanly. It would do you good to remember, that for you to involve yourself with William, _you _shall taint your own family's name, and your sister shall not marry that Alistair Cassidy." Elizabeth was stung with the older woman's words. "Go home Miss Swann." And with that, Adelaide Turner stood and left the room, and Elizabeth breathing heavily, tears threatening to erupt.

A few moments later, just as Elizabeth was standing and making to fly from the house, the door opened revealing Will. He bowed to her, and immediately saw the tears.

"Miss Swann!" He gasped rushing toward her.

Elizabeth stepped back, smiling weakly and wiping her eyes. "Please Will, call me Elizabeth."

Will stopped, and confusion set in. "Did my mother speak to you?" He asked, taking a few steps towards her, wiping a fresh tear from her cheek.

Elizabeth felt electricity almost overpower her brain as he touched her, but no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't move away from him.

"Yes she did." She responded.

Will moved to the door, shutting it. "I would prefer for people to hear muffles than clear dialects." He said as he headed to the sofa Elizabeth had been sitting on before, inviting him to join him. "I'm not going to ask what my mother said to distress you so, but I must tell you, last night, seeing you with Captain Norrington almost killed me."

Elizabeth turned her head to stare at him. "That's how I felt." She spoke, taking Will's hand in hers. "I don't want James Norrington to court me; I don't want any man to court me. Only you." She immediately felt her cheeks flush as she realized what she had said.

Will, who had been watching her speak, wanting nothing more than to kiss her moving lips, upon hearing her final confession, turned away from her, completely stunned.

"Wow!" He breathed quietly.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything." Elizabeth began.

In that moment, Will turned back to face her, and moved to kiss her. Elizabeth was surprised when she felt lips press against hers, but quickly fell under the spell of the kiss, allowing herself to fall completely into Will's lips. She was completely certain she had never felt something as beautiful as what she was feeling in that moment, and was upset when Will moved away.

"Sorry." He breathed through swollen lips, resting his forehead against hers.

Elizabeth looked at him through her eyelashes, taking his head in her hands. "For what?" She smiled, kissing him.

Will smiled into the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist, and shifting, pulling her onto his waist.

At the door, Adelaide Turner stood listening intently, a small mirror under the door attempting to watch what was happening. As she observed her son with Elizabeth Swann, she smiled to herself, glad that she hadn't left.

"They will be very happy together." She whispered, removing the mirror and straightening, leaving the door.

Her eldest son was nothing like her husband. The senior William Turner was a man who had long held an adventurous nature. That was what had been the main attraction. Certainly he was handsome, but it was that yearning for adventure that had decided who her husband was to be. She just never thought his yearning for adventure would take him away. The junior William Turner didn't have that adventurous streak; he just wanted to marry a beautiful woman and make her happy.

Adelaide walked up the stairs and headed for her private parlor, beginning to make plans on how her son and Elizabeth Swann were going to be able to make their relationship work.

--§--

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	9. A New Dress

_Okay so there's been a bit of a delay between these posts, and I'm sorry about that, really. Second, you may recognize some dialogue from this chapter as that from the opening 5 minutes of POTC 1. It's not that I have no creativeness myself, just that i was always going to use some aspects of the movies, just slot them into my little story._

_So after that ramble, here is Chapter Eight._

A New Dress

A number of months passed.

Since Elizabeth had embarked on her secret relationship with Will, everything else in her life had become easier. She found herself capable of listening to the constant praise-making her sister made at breakfast about how wonderful her fiancé was. She was able to spend every party at James Norrington's side.

But every morning she had taken to awaking early and wandering the secluded beaches with Will. But still, neither of them had any idea how they could pursue their relationship publicly. For whilst Elizabeth was able to bear the evenings she was forced to spend at Norrington's side, she always wished it could be Will who led her onto the dance floor, or who was the body of warmth at her side.

Still, she had her perfect mornings.

The problem however, was always going to be Esther. The night Elizabeth drank the most amount of wine in her short history of wine drinking, Esther made quick work of pulling the dark curtains closed, and remained with Elizabeth until she was sound asleep.

Elizabeth awoke and immediately knew something was wrong. Besides the dull ache covering her head, it was the complete darkness – barring the solitary candle on her table – surrounding her that caused Elizabeth to look around her room in confusion.

She moved from her bed and walked towards the covered windows. At one window she pulled one of the curtains aside, and was almost blinded by bright sunlight streaming into her room.

"Damn it!" She exclaimed to herself as her eyes adjusted to the brightness, and took in Port Royal, shining beneath her.

At that same moment there was a knock on her door. The pain in her head resumed and Elizabeth, remembering the night she had had before, rushed to her bed, jumping in and pulling the sheets above her neck.

"Elizabeth?" She heard her father's voice as he poked his head into her room. "Still in bed at this hour?" He sighed, walking in as Elizabeth made a show of waking up.

"What time is it?" She attempted to croak, blinking her eyes after rubbing them.

"Drawing on 10. And after events last night, I can understand Mrs. Rowbottom's decision to draw your curtains." He motioned to the drawn curtains, although didn't seem to notice that one was parted more so than the others. But it didn't matter, because the two maids who had followed him into the room quickly went about opening them.

Elizabeth maintained her show of waking up as she moved to her feet, and listening to her father as he spoke.

"I have a gift for you."

Elizabeth looked to him confused. He never brought her gifts, apart from those few trinkets he gave to her at her birthday. She lifted the lid of the box one of the maids held eagerly up to her. After moving the tissue paper aside, one of the most beautiful gowns Elizabeth had ever seen appeared. It looked to be far softer than silk, and was of the lightest rose tint, with delicate patterns roaming around the hem which were displayed as Elizabeth pulled the gown from the box and held it to her frame.

"Oh father, it's beautiful." She breathed as she did a little swirl before him, much to his delight.

"Isn't it." He reciprocated.

"But what is the occasion?" Elizabeth asked before disappearing behind her screen.

Her father just smiled at her, before puffing his chest out weakly. "Does a father need an occasion to dote upon his youngest daughter?"

Elizabeth smiled at him.

"Actually, I had hoped you might wear it to the ceremony today." He turned away from the screen, turning to the open window and looking out towards the fort.

After gasping at how tight her corset was being pulled, Elizabeth managed to repeat her father's word, 'ceremony'.

"Yes, Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony."

Elizabeth remembered back to all those moments when she had heard Will talk of completing Captain Norrington's sword.

"I knew it." She gasped, trying to think of what it would feel like to have her ribs broken.

"Yes. Commodore Norrington, as he is to become." She heard her father's voice announce proudly.

Elizabeth was in the process of shuddering internally at the thought of all reasons why her father was so proud of the future Commodore, and the main thought that it was because he was courting her. But this thought process was broken she released a louder than normal gasp.

"Is everything alright back there?" Her father asked slightly concerned.

"Difficult to say." Elizabeth sighed as she looked down her front, and saw her cleavage almost twice the size it normally was.

"Well I've heard it's the latest fashion in London." He spoke.

Elizabeth glanced in the mirror beside her, and gawked at the size of her waist. "Well women in London must have learnt not to breathe." Elizabeth gasped as Esther pulled her waist in even more. "Ow!"

One of the male attendants came to the door and Elizabeth could only hear the muffled conversation he exchanged with her father.

"Elizabeth, we shall be leaving for the fort within the hour. I'll expect you to be ready." Elizabeth rolled her eyes as she heard her father leave, before feeling the corset tighten MORE.

Luckily, that tug, was the last, as Elizabeth felt fingers tie off the strings at the base of her spine, before throwing her new dress over her head. Elizabeth stared at her reflection in the mirror as she was pushed into the seat behind her small dresser, and the two women set about brushing out her hair and making her presentable for society.

A matching bonnet with her dress was the final touch, which was tied at the back of her neck, just at her hairline. A mirror nearby her door caught her attention as she began to leave the room. In the slightly distorted imagery, Elizabeth gasped as she remembered the portrait of her mother that hung in the master bedroom. The pose she was pulling, and her overall look made her think in that moment how much like her mother in that portrait she appeared.

Elizabeth smiled, hiding her internal beam as she made her way downstairs. The sound of voices made her slow down, but when she identified the second voice as her beloved William Turner, she quickened her pace.

"Elizabeth, you are a vision." She heard her father's voice, and knew he was thinking of her mother. But in that moment she was saddened, knowing that he was also undoubtedly thinking of how her mother was not still alive.

Elizabeth smiled at him as she continued down the stairs, beginning her act of pretending he was still her good friend and not a lover. "It's so good to see you Will." She inwardly beamed as she saw how wide Will's eyes were as he took her in.

She was so beautiful.

Will wanted to look elsewhere so that the Governor wouldn't get mad that he was staring at the woman he shouldn't be staring at, but at the same time, he couldn't tear his eyes away from her tiny waist, her bulging bosom, or her radiating face. Elizabeth managed to make the decision for him when she stepped close to her father, forcing Will to blink and look away.

"Elizabeth, where is your sense of propriety?" The Governor whispered slightly harshly into Elizabeth's ear.

Elizabeth ignored him, curtsying for Will, winking too him.

"It's a pleasure to see you this morning, Miss Swann." Will smiled, bowing, knowing full well that he was annoying Elizabeth by calling her 'Miss Swann'.

The Governor smiled at Will as he righted, closing the sword case, and allowing a servant to take it out to the carriage. "Well at least the boy has a sense of propriety." He said weakly, before bidding farewell to the young man.

"Are you coming to Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony?" Elizabeth asked Will as she heard Georgia come down the stairs.

Will smiled at Elizabeth, before responding quietly. "The longer you keep me here, the more likely I won't be able to." He noticed Georgia at the top of the stairs, and unwittingly stepped away from Elizabeth. "Good day, Elizabeth." Will took her hand and placed a kiss on it, before leaving the house.

Elizabeth tried to hide the bright smile on her face from her sister and father as she moved out to the carriage, watching as Will ran down to the town. She didn't notice Georgia watching her intently, until she moved to leave the carriage in front of the fort. Georgia just looked away quickly, a blank expression on her face, but one that alerted Elizabeth's senses regarding public affection to Will, to be at a minimum.

The last thing she needed was Georgia knowing about her relationship with Will. It was scandalous enough as it was, but there was no way Elizabeth was going to end it.


	10. Love and Desire

_I've been meaning to post this here for the past couple of days, but some technical difficulties have been preventing that from happening. Hopefully this works!_

_Oh, and I've recently decided that it's going to be very difficult for me here-on-in to neglect dialogue from our favourite movie (AWE OUT 25 MAY), but in order for me to keep my originality, I'm using T&T's words in different settings, so hopefully I won't be eaten by the evil monkey who feasts on plaguiriesers...thats not how you spell that word, but oh well, you know what i mean. _

_Oh, and i've decided to bump up the rating on this because i'm not sure where my mind is going to lead and thus i should prepare the little children that there is stuff in here that they should not be reading._

Love and Desire

The moment William Turner watched Elizabeth Swann embark on her descent down the stairs, her waist a fraction of the size it normally was, and her bosom bulging at the neckline of her dress, he felt his blood boil, heard his heart pounding in his ears, and was relieved that their was a table between where he stood and the old Governor.

He also found himself aware that the love he had felt for Elizabeth, which had grown tremendously since that afternoon in his parlor, changed in that moment. A new feeling of want and desire coursed through his body as he thought about her; new feelings of wanting to touch and caress her skin and feel her body pressed against him, were all that he could feel, and drove him mad as he changed into the clothes he was wearing to the ceremony that afternoon.

And as he saw Elizabeth, on the other side of the fort to where he was standing as he entered, these thoughts, which had temporarily disappeared from his brain, returned in a rush.

As Governor Swann began the ceremony with a speech, Will silently moved about the crowd of people – a mix of the high and low – directing his course for his beloved. When a row of people kept him from Elizabeth, he stood patiently, watching her skin, watching her shift as she began to feel the uncomfortable nature of her corset.

Elizabeth sensed that someone was watching her, and glancing over her shoulder noticed him, smiling weakly. Knowing that she'd seen him, he moved away from her, moving behind the fort wall where no one was around, and the bay sparkled beneath. He hadn't been waiting long before she rounded the corner, pushing him away from the archway of stone and kissed him.

Not to be outdone, Will quickly swiveled them so that it was Elizabeth who was being pressed into the wall. "I've wanted to do that since I first saw you this morning." He whispered when they finally parted.

Elizabeth giggled, kissing him again. "I take it you like my new dress?" She did a little pirouette before him as he smiled, pressing his lips to hers when she stopped spinning.

"I love your new dress, and what it does." He lowered his voice in her ear, feeling her shudder against him.

Elizabeth playfully slapped him. "William Turner, you are too much." She pulled him back to her lips, before pushing him away again. "You just don't realise how difficult it currently is for me to breathe." She kissed him again, pulling him close.

An eruption of applause signaled the end of their 'session', and reluctantly they parted, with Will grateful that Elizabeth hadn't felt what her outfit was doing to him. After righting themselves, and allowing the swelling of their lips to reduce, they both snuck back into the crowd of people.

In order to avoid suspicion, Elizabeth looked for her father, and when she spotted him, she immediately made her way towards him, hoping he had not noticed her disappearing act.

"Lizbeth!" She turned to see Thomas and Anne walking towards her, Anne slightly ahead of Thomas, both looking Elizabeth over with stunned expressions.

After curtsying, Anne spoke. "Oh Elizabeth, your father dotes on you. Why, I don't believe I have ever seen such a beautiful gown." She gushed, smiling as someone walking past the small group greeted her.

"Thank you Anne, but I assure you, I cannot breathe." Elizabeth replied, attempting to shift the corset.

"Oh you'll get used to that. But you still have a wonderful father." The elder woman continued.

"It's true, my dear." Thomas began. "My dear father dotes on Elizabeth more than either of them are truly aware. I cannot remember Charlotte ever receiving such a gift." Elizabeth had begun blushing during this little speech, and couldn't seem to stop. "But please excuse me, I am being called away." He nodded to someone behind Elizabeth and left the two women alone.

"Elizabeth you are positively beaming." The older woman said to Elizabeth quietly once Thomas was gone.

Elizabeth waved her hand aside as Anne linked their arms together and began walking out into the sun. "It's the dress."

"No, no, it's more than that. You're in love." She smiled as Elizabeth looked at her bemused. "The Commodore is a lucky man." She noticed Norrington a small distance from them and smiled again at Elizabeth.

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, no, no, I'm not in love with James." She said to Anne who just looked at her.

"My dear Elizabeth, you do not need to hide it. We are both women; we are sisters. You and the Commodore have been almost inseparable when put together; in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you were married by the end of the month."

Elizabeth felt her jaw drop and forced herself to keep it up. "I can almost assure you Anne that James Norrington and I will not be married by the end of the month."

Anne merely shrugged, knowing Elizabeth was just being shy and modest. "If you insist. But you have a glow about you that women in love hold, and I am not the first to have noticed."

"Elizabeth, there you are!" She heard her father's voice behind her, and felt relieved by the interruption. "Come, child, the Commodore has been looking for you."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at her father's words, but when she turned to where she had thought James Norrington had been, she saw him gone. After that she had no real chance of escaping, as shortly after, the new Commodore was before her, a smile on his face, his new medallion hanging at his chest. All Elizabeth could do in return was smile at him and offer her congratulations. When she looked around after that as he took her arm and moved her to a quieter area, she realized that her father had left them alone.

"You look lovely." He smiled to her, sounding oddly unsure of himself.

Elizabeth smiled at him weakly, before feeling the heat begin to suffocate her. Why was the sunlight doing this? She had been with Will less than an hour earlier and nothing had gone wrong whilst he had been kissing her. Why now were her lungs refusing to expand?

"I apologize if I seem forward, but I must speak my mind." Elizabeth could sense a speech coming, and immediately knew what was to come.

As the realization came that he was proposing, Elizabeth neglected to listen to what he was saying. And in that time, all Elizabeth could think of was Will, and how could she possibly escape Norrington's proposal?

But that corset seemed to be continuing its purge of her internal organs.

"Elizabeth?" She heard James's voice and looked at him, her eyesight going fuzzy.

"I can't breathe." She choked, before blacking out.

_---_

_Remember to Review!_

_(Oh, and there is no such thing as an evil monkey that feasts on plaguirisers, that's just me being paranoid because one of my university lecturers gave us a lecture about plaguirism, and for some reason i decided to call the computer program that finds plaguirism and turn it into a flesh eating monkey...i should also note that there are some species of monkey that eat flesh and thus i know nothing about biology and all that stuff, which is why i am now going to stop rambling REMIND YOU TO REVIEW once again and...stop...writing!)_

_REVIEW PLEASE,...(ignore my ramblings!)_


	11. Predicament

_I don't know what has come over me! I wrote this two weeks ago and could have sworn i'd already posted it! (By the way, i have meant to post more in the past two weeks, but unfortunatly i suffer from a rare and frightenning addiction...The Sims 2. Yes i know, it's dreadful and i am in desperate need of treatment, but because of that wonderful game, i have been rather distracted.)_

_But finally i bring a post! Hopefully i can get the next one up within a week._

Predicament

Elizabeth woke up with a cool cloth being pressed to her forehead and the soft comfort of her mattress against her back. She groaned as she felt a dull ache in the back of her head.

"Shh, Miss Elizabeth." Elizabeth heard Esther's voice soothe.

"What happened?"

"You fainted as the Commodore proposed." Esther smiled to her.

Another groan came from Elizabeth.

"He was incredibly alarmed, has been with your father in his study ever since you were brought back here." She continued. "Requested to see you after you had woken."

Elizabeth groaned again. "Can you tell him to return tomorrow after I have rested." She asked.

Esther looked to her young charge confused. "The man proposed to you, my child. He is now the second highest man in Port Royal after your father. He will not be told to do such a thing."

"Please?" Elizabeth begged.

Esther frowned. "I won't be gone long. I want you to stay in bed however." She placed the cloth in the bowl of water on the table beside the bed.

Elizabeth nodded, just wanting the woman to be gone so she could think. She waited until the door clicked shut before sitting up, leaning against the bed-head. Her mind was spinning at a million miles. James had proposed to her; Anne could see she was in love, and maybe she was, but most definitely William Turner was the object of that love.

Elizabeth pushed the sheets from her legs, swinging them over the edge of the bed, before standing gingerly and moving towards the windows, hugging herself. As she looked through the cracks in the thin curtains at the town bathed in the light of the early evening, clouded over, Elizabeth began kicking herself mentally.

"Lizbeth?" Gingerly Elizabeth turned to see Thomas, his head poking in the doorway. "Are you okay?" He entered the room, closing the door as Elizabeth returned to the bed, pulling the sheets about her legs.

"I'm a fool." She moaned as her brother sat down at the end of her bed.

"Why, because you fainted as a man proposed marriage?" He chuckled, reaching for the cloth, wringing it of excess moisture and pressing it to his sister's brow.

Elizabeth sighed. Could she trust her eldest brother with her heart? Could she tell him of her love for William Turner? Could she reveal their relationship?

"Elizabeth, why are you a fool?" His voice broke her of her thoughts.

She sighed, remembering when Thomas had played matchmaker the few times he had been in hers, and Will's presence. "Because I fell in love with a man I cannot be with because of society, and now, the man who society wants me to be with wants to marry me and I don't know how to get out of it." She held her head in her hands.

Thomas chuckled to himself. "I can understand why you would fall in love with William Turner." Elizabeth looked up at him stunned that he wasn't flying into a rage. "What, the boy is good company and comes from a great Port Royal family. But Lizbeth, the moment I met that young man I knew he was in love with you. And when father and Arthur told me of his history I thought 'who cares'? But you definitely do have a predicament." He sighed.

"Oh Thomas, what am I to do? James is a wonderful, fine man; the type of man any woman would dream of marrying." She moaned.

"But Turner is a fine man too?" He countered.

Elizabeth groaned. "Of course, but I cannot marry him, or be seen romantically with him. How do I tell father, or James for that matter, that I love Will, without causing my family shame?" Both fell into a silence, thinking of way's to counter this problem. "Maybe Will and I should elope."

Thomas laughed. "You could, at least that way you wouldn't have to worry about evading marriage to a man you don't want to marry." He stopped laughing, and seriousness fell across his features. "But at the same time, it is written into father's will that any child who marries without his permission shall not receive a penny."

"But I don't need father's money!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"Maybe not, but you also whether you realise it or not, don't want to pollute our family name, which is why you're sneaking around with Turner." He explained.

Elizabeth groaned again as Thomas patted her head with the cloth, before re-loading it with water. "How is marrying William Turner a bad marriage? The man is in society, the son and heir to one of the largest fortunes in Port Royal, whose name is only tainted because his father left to be a pirate twenty years ago!"

Thomas sighed. "You know the answer to that question, unfortunately."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Oh, yes, society."

Thomas chuckled again, both falling into silence as he continued to gently dab at her forehead. Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak again but was cut off by the sound of a commotion from the town, and the dull sound, similar to thunder. Thomas placed the cloth back in the bowl and moved to the window to investigate.

"Well you may have a few days to evade the Commodore's question." He spoke at the window.

"Why?" Elizabeth sat up confused.

"Because that ship in the bay is firing on the fort." Immediately Elizabeth jumped from her bed and rushed to the window, looking down at the bay and the flashes of flight flaring across the water from the ship's cannons.

"Pirates." Elizabeth both asked the question and made a statement. Thomas however, was making his way towards the door.

"Stay here, don't move unless you're instructed." Elizabeth knew that voice, it was his father voice, the one he had used before he had left for England those many years before when Elizabeth was still a child.

As Thomas left the door, Esther scurried in. "If you wanted the Commodore gone, he has, and he wouldn't have without those pirates attacking the town." She then proceeded to pull Elizabeth into the adjoining cupboard, much to the bewilderment of Elizabeth.

"The Commodore's orders. If the house is ambushed, he doesn't want you hurt!"

Elizabeth bit her tongue, knowing precisely what she wanted to say, but at the same time accepting it wasn't the time for jokes.

--§--

_Remember to review_


	12. Pleas and Pirates

_So it's been about a week, and I'm updating again. I hope I can get the next chapter up in a similar amount of time. But no promises._

Pleas and Pirates

Will was sitting in his room beside the fire, staring into the flickering flames. He'd been in the same position since he returned home early in the afternoon. At first it had simply been because of his thoughts heading to Elizabeth, knowing that she'd fainted, and feeling her thinned body against his own.

But those thoughts had passed the moment one of the maids handed him a small parcel. Instantly he felt his blood run cold.

It was his father's writing.

He knew it instantly for it was the same hand that had scribbled the note his mother had found the morning after he had left.

Within the parcel Will found a gold chain, with what appeared to be a pirate medallion hanging from it.

_.  
Dear William,_

_ I know I can never earn your nor your mothers forgiveness for my desertion of you. I have long since accepted that, along with the notion that the life I thought I wanted is not the life I left you all to find._

_ You could say that that serves me right, leaving my family – you, your mother, Joseph and Anthony – and finding nothing to fill that gap. However not a day has gone by when I haven't thought of you all, how you and your brothers must have grown into men.  
_

_ As I write this I feel as though it is Anthony who I should be writing too as he has never known me, but I cannot tear up these words and create new ones. Again, I do not deserve your forgiveness, and I'm almost certain you must be burning this letter, but if you have not yet, please hear my plea, even though I truly do not deserve it._

_ A number of months ago I was given this medallion. I shan't go into the particulars of why, but all I shall tell you is that it is the only item I own that is valuable. Please, I ask you to have it. I do not care if you give it to your mother or one of your brothers, but please ensure that it remains in our family._

_ Again, I may not deserve such a thing of you, but I can at least keep my hopes alive._

_ As always your father.  
.  
_

After reading the letter several times, Will couldn't help but stare at the medallion in his hands, at how the colour of the flames caused the gold to shimmer and dance. The image of the pirate skull, however, still sent a chill down Will's spine.

Eventually he dropped the medallion from his line of sight, and maintained his posture from that already mentioned.

He'd lost count of how long he'd been sitting in such a position, but was jerked out of it when he realized that the dull, but close thunder, was something much more sinister. Out his window he could just see a billowing mass of dirty cloud billowing from the fort.

The medallion forgotten as it landed with a hard, sharp thud on the floor boards, with Will's feet ahead of his brain, leading him out of the house, to the street, along to the smithy.

Another explosion erupted as Will came into view of the harbour. He felt something hard against the back of his head and collapsed in an unsightful heap against the cold rock and metal of the street.

Wincing and rubbing his head he realized the town was flooded with pirates. He couldn't believe how quickly they had entered the town, and without thinking he sat up, staring in the direction of the governors household.

All around him pirates were running and roaring with laughter as they ran amuck about the town, killing whoever crossed their paths and stood in their way; throwing rocks through windows, barging through the doors, all to the sound of women and childrens screams, and soldiers cries of agony as their life was speared from them.

As he was standing up he felt something cold against his palm and fingers. At first he thought it was a rock, but when he spotted the dark gold between his fingers, his mind flashed back to the parcel his father had sent him.

At first he thought that he hadn't dropped the medallion on his bedroom floorboards, but when he realized there was no chain attacted, he instinctively pocketed the haunting piece.

He knew how much Elizabeth loved pirates, and their legends, even though she knew what his father was. At the same time however, he knew that she may recognize it from one of her books, and made a point of keeping it on him until he next saw her.

He had just hidden the medallion inside his shirt, when another pang ripped across the back of his head. This time he didn't register hitting the ground, nor the pirates leaving Port Royal in a mess of blood, death and destruction.

--§--

_Remember to Review!_


	13. The Morning After

_Sorry about the delay. University, it's a nightmare!_

The Morning After

Elizabeth had spent the entire night shivering with fear beside Esther. They had heard gun fire and cheering below them, but luckily the pirates hadn't searched the entire household, and had left shortly before dawn.

Elizabeth crept from her hiding place when she saw light coming in through the gap between the door and floorboards.

Rain was pelting against the windows, and from the obscured view of the town below, Elizabeth could see that the pirates had left everything in Port Royal to ruin. From there she moved to investigate the destruction of her home.

"Where are you going?" Esther's voice demanded behind her.

"The Pirates have gone. I want to see what's happening downstairs." Elizabeth responded, before leaving the room, ignoring the older woman's requests for her to return.

In the hallway, Elizabeth could hear noise coming from everywhere. As she crept along to the staircase, she was shocked by what she saw.

In the entrance hall, everything was dust. The chandelier that offered a tremendous showpiece to the Swann family power and influence lay in ruins on the floor, surrounded by cracked tiles. The staircase from the middle landing down, was no longer a staircase, and prevented people from easily accessing the first and second stories of the house. Elizabeth was also horrified at the sight of blood, smeared across the floor tiles by the door, and splatter on some walls.

"Elizabeth." Elizabeth saw her father leave what had been the parlor, an exhausted expression across his face.

Somehow Elizabeth managed to reach the floor below her, and rush to her father, giving him a hug. "It's alright father. What's damaged can be repaired." Elizabeth tried to encourage her father to remove his pessimistic and negative thoughts.

"No. Not everything can be. The Fort lies in ruins; there are soldiers both injured and dead still lying in the town; the town's people won't leave their homes for fear of being killed, and the stench of death and blood still lies everywhere. And Georgia is lying in her bed in tears because Alistair Cassidy stood in the pirate's way." A dread filled Elizabeth, a fear of realizing how angry her sister would now be, and the fear that her beloved Will may have met with a similar fate.

"But father, we shall get though this." She stammered. "The pirates have left; from all the books I have read, pirates are like lightning strikes: they never attack the same place twice."

"That won't remove the fear in these people." Her father retorted angrily, pushing her away and walking away from her. "This is the second time in twenty years that this town has been attacked. It took years for Port Royal to recover last time. How long do you think it's going to take us to recover this time?"

Elizabeth wanted to talk to him, convince him that everything would be all right, but nothing came to mind. She watched as he stalked away, into another room, whilst some servants bought a ladder and placed it on the floor, leading up to the staircase.

"Some good that will do." Elizabeth sighed under her breath.

She turned as those same servants left the house, and Elizabeth, staring out the front door, watched as the rain poured down.

--§--

Will's head was pounding. A resounding ache was spreading from the back of his head, and moving everywhere, almost making him feel nauseous. As he sat up in the street, the rain beginning to get heavier, he initially thought he'd been transported to the legendary pirate island of Tortuga.

But seeing soldiers, in particular Commodore Norrington walking about and giving orders, he knew he was still in Port Royal.

It was at that point that he realized that the coolness against his chest was not the rain, but something metal. He reached inside his shirt and pulled out the pirate medallion he had found.

The moment his eyes locked onto the haunted piece of gold he jumped to his feet, before grabbing his head out of pain, then began staggering in the direction of his home.

"William, thank heavens you're alright. Where have you been? Are you all right? William, Will! Speak to me!" His mother's voice bombarded him with questions the moment he opened the door.

Will, still cradling the back of his head, had no intention of stopping and speaking. "I'm okay, mother, but I'm in a hurry."

"In a hurry?" Her voice exclaimed, following him up the stairs. "This town gets ambushed by pirates, and you have been gone all night. WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

As Will slammed his bedroom door, her voice, and her tireless questions disappeared. He headed straight for his desk, but the medallion he was looking for wasn't there. His eyes scoured his room, until he saw it, gold glinting at him from beneath the curtains. Picking the medallion and chain up from the floor, he held the two articles side by side, staring at them.

"_Find it! Find that medallion!" _

The voices of the pirates, he hadn't registered, but that one pirate, probably the leader, had bellowed that line repeatedly when Will first emerged in the town.

"They were looking for you." He whispered to himself.

"William, I demand you tell me what is going on!" Will jumped when he heard his mother's voice coming through his door. He stuffed the two medallions into his shirt, just as his mother barged into the room.

"Mother, will you please give me some privacy!" Will exclaimed at her entrance.

"William you are my son, and I do not care that you are twenty five years of age, but when our home is attacked by pirates, and you return home, the back of your head protruding, I just," she paused. "I just don't want you ending up like your father."

Will stared at his mother. "How could you possibly think that?" He asked her quietly.

Adelaide Turner sighed dejectedly, looking away from her eldest son. "I don't want to think that, and I do know you are nothing like your father, I just don't want, I don't want to lose you."

Will smiled weakly, walking over to her, resting his hands on her shoulders. "You won't."

She too smiled at him weakly. "Well, I don't care what your plans were for today; you're staying in bed until that lump goes down." As she spoke, she pushed Will towards the bed, forcing him to sit down and be cared for.


	14. Another Question Answered

_Hey guys. I'm SOOOO sorry it's taken me so long to update this fic. The main reason I can give is simply school. It's evil and should be killed. I also have more bad news…exams are coming up, AND I have two 2000 word essays due next week (that I haven't started yet, well done meggi) that I need to finish, so there might be another delay in posting because of that. _

_But!_

_After Friday next week (that is the 8__th__ of June) I should be perfectly able to post more often, unless I face that dastardly problem all writers get called writers block and can't think of a decent way to go on with and finish this story._

_At this stage I'm not sure how many more chapters are going to come after this, as I haven't planned any more out, but given this is chapter 13, I'm going to estimate another 7, because I really don't want this story to drag on or go over 20 chapters. Having said that there is every possibility my intelligence will forget that and this will go on forever (which some of you may like but I don't, sorry.)_

_In the mean time, I'll stop rambling and leave you with the next installment!_

Another Question Answered

Will didn't realize he had fallen asleep until he opened his eyes to see the moon shining in through his window. By the sound of it, everyone was in bed, and thank heavens. He needed to see Elizabeth, find out if she recognized the medallion, and it didn't hurt that he had wanted to see her all day (despite the fact he'd been sleeping.)

Quietly, he slipped from his bed, dodged the floorboards that creaked and dressed. Pocketing the one medallion, and hanging the other around his neck, he escaped from the house, through the cold night and up to the Governor's house.

Despite the fact the town had been ambushed by pirates, Will was surprised there weren't more guards around the home of his beloved, which he also had to admit he was glad about.

He noticed Elizabeth's window, and the light coming from within. He couldn't believe he was doing this, sneaking up to Elizabeth's bed chamber in the middle of the night. Was he a fool? Did he want to have himself killed?

He had heard from his mother, of rumors flying about the town how Elizabeth was engaged to Commodore Norrington, and that only made him seem even more foolish. If Elizabeth was indeed betrothed to the new Commodore, what would happen to them both if they were caught?

But as Will sneaked through the garden, up to the wall of the house, all he wanted to know was the truth about this medallion.

What he hadn't counted on was rain falling.

"Why does it always rain here?" He whispered to himself.

He looked up the vine Elizabeth had pointed out as the one to climb. He watched as the rain fell onto the dark twisting pole, causing it to become slippery and even more dangerous than it already was.

But he was on a mission, and he didn't care how many cuts and scratches he would get, he had to see her.

--§--

Elizabeth stared blankly into the fire. Esther had left her to sleep hours earlier, but memories of her conversation with her father were rigid in Elizabeth's mind. Unable to sleep, she had found herself sitting up, wrapped in her quilt, staring into the red hot coals and white and yellow flames that rose from some of the larger pieces.

She still hadn't heard any news of Will, but that didn't surprise her very much either. Her father was more interested in how Charlotte and her new baby Ethan were and Georgia's agony over losing Alistair.

Still, hearing one word about his safety would be wonderful. Even having the Commodore to visit her would be a much more welcome distraction to having everyone fuss over her. She hadn't seen what had happened, only the aftermath. She didn't need to talk to anyone, or be comforted about the pain at Alistair Cassidy's demise.

But her father's welfare was the most important thing in her head. He had looked so broken when she first set eyes on him that morning. He loved the people of Port Royal, and most of them loved him in return, but she had recognized his fear of losing that love. After all, what was he supposed to do with himself if they stopped loving him? Rumors of trouble and revolution were spreading from the North and from England and France.

Elizabeth also knew her father didn't want the King to lose faith in his ability to rule on his behalf. But what could be done?

Elizabeth could barely remember the aftermath of the last pirate attack, the one that had signaled the end for the Turner name, but what could be done?

It was at this point that she again allowed her thoughts to drift off to Will, most probably lying in his own bed, fast asleep and hopefully dreaming of her. The thought of his face, looking ever so peaceful, surrounded by darkness warmed her heart, and for a moment Elizabeth was certain she had found the necessary item to send her to sleep.

But there was a noise coming from her window, above the sound of the rain; a scratching sound that Elizabeth recognized as somebody climbing the vine beside her small balcony.

Leaving the comfort of her bed's warmth, Elizabeth ventured out into the watery night, and their, saw the top of a man's head; a man whom she instantly recognized as Will.

"Will, what on earth are you doing here?" She whispered loud enough for him to hear, but not enough to wake her sister who was in the next room along.

Will looked up from below her, and smiled. "I had to see you. And I need your help."

Elizabeth smiled in return, and a moment later he was standing before her, taking her in a hug, kissing her as he did so.

"Come inside, out of the rain." Elizabeth said to him, leading him into the dry room, and close to the fire, taking one of the small logs that was left their, specifically for extra warmth if she woke up and needed more warmth in the room.

From there she took a blanket from a cupboard and handed it too him. As he wrapped the towel about him she bit her lip.

"Ahh that's better." He breathed, standing close to the fire, before turning around and seeing her expression. "What?"

Elizabeth looked away, scratching the back of her head. "To prevent catching a cold, you may want to take some of your wet clothes off. It would warm you too." She was trying to keep a level voice, but wasn't managing too, realizing what she had just suggested and trying to hide her embarrassment.

Will merely looked at her, seeing her embarrassment and feeling his own at her suggestion, but feeling his body shiver, realized that despite the embarrassment they were both feeling, stripping down to his underclothes may be a good idea.

As he began undoing his belt, Elizabeth turned around, staring straight into the flames of the fire, not turning around until she heard the loud and sharp ring of something hitting the floor. But Will picked it up before she could get a good look at what it was. It was then that she noticed what he was wearing, nothing but his boots and his underwear.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." She turned away quickly, feeling absolutely mortified by their situation and unable to form any other sentence. But her eyes were forcing her head to turn back and look at his exposed body, reveling in his physique, muscular torso and strong, wide shoulders.

But before her eyes could fully take in what she was seeing, they landed at the gold glinting in the middle of his chest, glinting in the firelight. "What's that?" She asked stepping close to him, loosing the feeling of embarrassment and not noticing Will's body tensing as she reached for the medallion. "Why have you got a pirate medallion?" She asked him, looking up at his eyes and seeing his embarrassment, before stepping away from him as she felt her own return.

"My father sent it to me, I received it yesterday. I had no intention of keeping it, but it wasn't until I found this," he pulled out the second medallion from the pocket he had stuffed it in hastily, and handed it too her. "...when the pirates attacked that I realized why. My father must be a member of them, and they were searching for this." He pulled the medallion from his neck and held them side by side before her eyes.

"Why have you brought them here?" Elizabeth asked him.

"I was hoping you may recognize them. I know you read a lot of books about pirates and I was hoping you may recognize them." Will spoke, watching as Elizabeth's face went pale.

"Oh lord." She whispered.

Will watched her as she brought her hands to her face, covering her mouth. Instinctively he looked over his shoulder, thinking that someone was standing their watching them. "What, Elizabeth, what is it?"

"I just remembered, James came to the house today. He was speaking to my father privately in the parlor. I was eavesdropping through the door, hoping that he was telling my father how many lives had been lost, and praying that your name wasn't amongst them." Will felt warmed by this comment as he pulled the blanket at his feet around his shoulders. "What I remember, is James saying that only one pirate had been captured, that he was found lurking in an alley, hiding." Elizabeth explained, before stopping and sighing deeply. "Will, I think James said it was your father."

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	15. Love's Pending Battle

Sorry for the delay's with posting, I've been busy attempting to study and instead playing spider Solitaire….I probably shouldn't admit that. Ahh well, enjoy this chapter.

Love's Pending Battle

Will stared at Elizabeth. Had he just heard her correctly? Had she just said that the Commodore had said that they had captured his father? Why had his father stayed behind when the pirates left, or why had he stayed out of the fighting?

"What?" Was all Will managed to say, loosing control of his legs and collapsing onto Elizabeth's bed.

Elizabeth continued to look at him, that look of mixed pain and worry on her features. "That's what I think I heard. Like I said Will, I think James said it was your father that they have captured."

It was at this point that Will remembered the rumour he had heard whispered during the day, and hearing Elizabeth refer to the Commodore by his first name. Elizabeth noticed his face change from shocked to confused and hurt.

"Will?"

"Did the Commodore propose to you?" Will asked, looking straight at her.

Elizabeth sighed, moving to take a seat next to Will on the bed. "Yes he did." She whispered. Will sighed, his head falling forward. "But I am yet to give him an answer." She continued, causing Will to look straight at her, confused. "When he proposed, I was having trouble breathing through my corset, and I fainted. When I awoke the Pirates were attacking the Port, and he was forced to leave without an answer." She explained.

Will nodded, unsure if he was relieved by this response. "Do you plan on answering him?"

"I have too." She responded sadly.

Will stood, stepping towards the fire. "Do you plan on answering him in the affirmative?" He asked from the fireplace.

Elizabeth stood and joined him in front of the fire. "I think you know that I would rather not." She smiled weakly. "But my father will then be requiring a legitimate reason as to why I declined him. And if I say that I don't love him, he will just laugh and tell me that isn't a valid reason."

"You sound as though you've been giving this a lot of thought." Elizabeth looked at him with an annoyed smirk.

"What would you do if you were in my situation. I haven't had anything else occupying my thoughts for the past two days." She said, before turning her head violently in the direction of the doorway thinking she heard something from the hall. "You have to go." She whispered to Will.

Will looked at her, then looked in the direction of the door.

"Don't argue with me, Georgia's room has never been as warm as mine and she often comes and takes one of my spare blankets. You have to leave now."

Reluctantly Will took his clothes from where they were hanging up drying, which were still quite wet, before feeling Elizabeth's hands at his back pushing him into the closet and shutting the doors. "Stay here and don't make a sound." She whispered hoarsely.

Will did as commanded, standing in the cupboard, pressing his ear to the door and trying to listen what was happening out in the room.

"Elizabeth, what the devil are you doing outside?" He could hear a voice, but it wasn't Elizabeth's sister. It sounded like a woman, an older woman, probably her maid.

"I couldn't sleep, and you know how much I love the rain." He heard Elizabeth's voice speak.

"Well you're soaked to the bone. Come we'll change you into something dry." He heard the older woman's voice speak, before feeling the prickling feeling that 'something dry' would be in the closet he was hiding in.

"No!" Elizabeth's voice sounded slightly panicked. "Esther, please. When I cannot sleep in the rain I'm not going to sit in bed and listen to it against the windows. When I feel sleep I shall change myself. Do not bother yourself when you know full well that I shall only get fresh garments soaked." Will smiled to himself hearing more of Elizabeth's personality around her family and the like.

Outside the closet, Elizabeth was standing not far into her room from the doorway to her balcony, the blanket Will had had draped around his shoulders covering hers. She was staring at Esther, trying to hide the absolute panic at the possibility that Will may be found in his undergarments in her closet. It would not be proper and so scandalous if it were to get out. Why, then she'd certainly be sent back to England.

Esther looked to her, frowning slightly. "Still, I shall get you some fresh garments and leave them out for you to change into." She spoke, making her way to the closet again.

"Esther please!" Elizabeth demanded, just as the older woman had her hand on the door-knob. "I do not need to always have such aimless tasks of getting clothes from my closet performed by others! Please go back to bed." She knew she was begging, and undoubtedly Esther would only question her about it during the daylight hours when she wouldn't wake the household up.

Again Esther looked to her charge with a crinkle in her brow. And much to Elizabeth's relief she moved her hand from the door, and turned to leave the room. "Very well, then Miss. But do not stay out in this weather for too long; I will not have you catch a cold." The woman's tone was harsh and cold, and Elizabeth knew that she had struck a chord in her aged governess.

She sighed as her door closed before she headed for the door, pressing her ear against it to ensure footsteps were moving away, and much to her relief they were.

"Is the coast clear?" Elizabeth smiled weakly to herself as she heard Will's voice whisper.

She turned to see his head poking between the two doors open slightly ajar. "Yes." She responded weakly moving from the doorway and watching as he dressed into his clothes.

She dropped her line of sight to the floor, and saw the line of water droplets heading for the closet, and immediately felt concern. Had Esther noticed them? Would she think that was the reason Elizabeth was desperate for her to leave her room, because there was someone very wet hiding in her closet?

Elizabeth looked back up to Will, seeing him pulling his still soaking wet shirt over his head, before shrugging into his jacket. "I'm sorry, Will." She spoke quietly, attracting his attention.

Will smiled at her weakly. "For what?" He asked her confused.

"We may not be able to see each other for a time, and I need to answer the Commodore's question." She responded sadly, moving to stand in front of him.

Will looked down to the floor between them as she neared. "If you would like, I shall stay away." He breathed, looking up at her weakly.

At this statement, Elizabeth looked up at him sharply, pressing her hand to his cheek. "Why on Earth do you think I would want you to stay away?" She questioned, meeting his weak gaze with her own forceful one.

Will looked down again as she brought her other hand to his other cheek. "I don't know." He whispered, not looking at her.

"Will," she sighed weakly, "I love you, and you're only saying things like that because you think it's the easiest option. If I am to marry the Commodore, and I detest the idea as much as you do, you must know, that I shall never be able to bring myself to feel my heart beating for him, in the same way that it does you."

Will was comforted by these words, but minimally. He wanted to say something in response, but couldn't think of the necessary words, and instead, moved his head forward, finding her lips with his own, and showing her his relief. When they parted, he pressed his forehead to hers, gently and unconsciously rubbing his nose against hers.

"I'll always be yours." Elizabeth whispered to him.

Will smiled, placing a soft quick kiss on her lips before walking away, towards the balcony door, and disappearing into the rain and night.

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	16. Confrontation

_Wow, it's been ages! And I am very, very sorry to you all for being so annoying and not updating. Any way's, because I am so very, very nice, I'm going to try and put two updates up now._

_Oh, and just a note, I'm doing something strange with Will's character in this chapter, that isn't really like him. But for the benefit of this story it needs to be there._

Confrontation

Will didn't know how he managed to sneak into the prison, down into the cells. He could only put it down to the repair works that were taking place about the town. But once he was down in the cells, and noticed most of them were empty, he realized that there probably wouldn't be a guard there anyway.

"If it weren't for you, the Pearl would still be mine!" Will heard a voice from one of the far cells.

"Even if I hadn't played a part in your mutiny, you would be cursed, just like me and everyone else on that god-forsaken ship, and you probably would have sailed in here like we did and blown this place sky high!" Another voice spoke.

"I wouldn't have had to sail into this port and blow it sky high, if you hadn't committed mutiny, and then out of guilt, sent off a piece of the gold to that son of yours, who you still don't even know still lives here!" The first voice spoke again.

"But he does. They all still do. I saw them, I was hiding in the alley opposite the house when they caught me…William!" The second man, who Will could only identify as his father spotted him, lunging for the bars separating them, reaching his arms out.

Will looked to the other man. He had a head of matted locks of brown hair down just past his shoulders, with a red bandana holding it all off his face, and pieces of chain and other odd trinkets hanging from it. He looked absolutely filthy, and wasn't looking at either Will or his father, instead sort of out into nowhere.

"William, did you receive my gift?" Will's father asked, still reaching out for his eldest son.

Will looked down at his father, hatred filling his body. This was the man who had left it impossible for him, or any of his brothers to marry well. This was the man who had abandoned everyone in this town after spending years trying to prove his worth as the husband to one of the daughters of one of the most respectable men in Port Royal. This was his father, who now looked to be more the spindly remains of what had been a human being.

"The gold?" Will asked, eyeing the second man, noticing he was listening.

"Yes. You did. Protect it William. Do not leave it…" his voice trailed off when Will pulled the medallion he had received, and the medallion he found from a pocket, holding them out for his father too see.

"I will not protect something Pirates are searching for." Will said, allowing his anger to be heard, throwing the trinkets to the floor, landing close to his father's knees.

"William, do you know what will happen if those pirates find them, and you? Do you realise what will happen when they realise another piece of gold is missing?" Will's father looked frightened, as he stopped reaching desperately for his son, picking up the medallions and holding them for him to see.

"I can only guess; they will assume you abandoned them, taking another medallion with you, and giving them another reason to attack this port."

"No!" Will's father stood up sharply, making Will realise how tall he was. "They are cursed men."

"Who evidently don't want to be any more." The second man began talking. "I say, _William_," he stood, ambling with a drunk-man's walk, towards where the two Turners were. "The Pirates of the Black Pearl are immortal; which means that they cannot die. Now, that, and I assume you believe it as I do, is not a good fact of life, especially when you hold the key to them escaping immortality."

Will stared at the second man, at his beard which was braided on either side of his chin, and the many trinkets and odd objects adorning him. "Why did you send me this?" Will turned to his father, pointing to the medallions.

"Those pirates committed the worst sin a pirate can commit." The second man spoke, walking back to the bench he had been sitting on before.

Will's father stared after the second man, before turning back to his son. "That there," he pointed in the direction of the man, "is who I used to call Captain Jack Sparrow. But of course, that was before other members of his former crew, under his former First Mate decided they didn't want him to be Captain any more. I didn't want to play a part in the mutiny, leaving him to die on some island in the middle of the Caribbean sea. So, when we found this legendary cursed treasure, we being pirates, could not help ourselves. When I discovered the curse, I was upset. Those pirates, we deserve to be cursed, so I sent a piece of the gold to you, because I hoped that they would never find you, and also I thought you may have returned to England, in which case, it would then be sent on."

"But I'm here. And you're here. And I found this second medallion the night your fellow crewmembers were here." Will retorted.

"Oh wonderful, Barbossa and co. can return to this dump of a town, ravage it again and properly kill everyone." Jack Sparrow spoke, and Will noticed he pulled his hat onto his head, and down low, covering his eyes.

"So what can be done to prevent that from happening?" Will asked.

"Nothing." Will's father sighed. "My part in lifting the curse has been played."

"I thought you said they needed all these medallions – how many are there?" Will retorted.

"882." Jack responded instantly.

"Yes, they do. But they also need blood, of every man who ever took a piece of gold from the chest they were kept in. And I have done that, but they must never get a hold of these medallions, Will. Never!"

"These pirates, immortal you say. What happens years from now, when they are still ravaging ports searching for these? What happens when I am dead?"

"You wait for the opportune moment to lift the curse." Will looked up, jumping back slightly when he noticed Jack standing close to him.

Will looked at him curiously, hoping he would continue. When he didn't he realized he was going to have to ask. "What do you mean, 'opportune moment'?"

Jack smiled at him through the bars. "I have a pistol with one shot, and I have every intention to leave that one shot imbedded in the heart of the man who lead my mutiny. At the same time you have the Royal Navy somewhere nearby, waiting."

Will shook his head. "I have no influence over the navy. But you can by all means lead them right to it."

At this Sparrow looked at him as though he were a fool, before looking to the bars separating them. "Oh that's a wonderful plan. Look at me, I'm stuck in here and the bloody key ran off."

Will ignored him, turning back to his father. "Why did you come back here? Was it see just what your desertion has done to the family you left behind?"

His father, who had returned to his knees at some point during the conversation, looked up at Will softly. "It was either stay here or find myself on the bottom of the ocean." He responded.

Will nodded, not understanding that logic, but stepping away. "You're despicable. Not that I expected anything else." He added, more as an afterthought. "Did you think that by staying here, whilst you might be escaping one thing, you were gaining something that you lost? Do you realise how your absence has affected us? Myself and my brothers? My mother? I despise you." He slammed his hand against the bars separating him from his father, turning on his heel.

"Will, William wait!" His father called, his voice following Will out of the jail. You are a Turner. Remember what Turners are! We are fighters! We do not lay down when what we want is to far from our grasp!"

Outside the Jail, Will leaned against the stone wall, his breath heaving, despite his confusion at why that was so. He hadn't exercised himself to the point of exhaustion, yet he could not control his lungs. At the same time, his father's words about Turner's being fighters were still ringing in his ears.

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	17. A Pleasing Withdrawal?

A Pleasing Withdrawal?

Elizabeth sat in the parlor absolutely petrified. She had been told Norrington was in the house, and wanted to see her, for what reason she could only imagine. So here she was, sitting on one of the many sofas, watching him as he stood by one of the windows looking out to the bay.

"I trust you are well?" She asked, hearing her voice squeak.

He turned around to look at her, removing his hat from his head, before making his way from the window to her location on the sofa. "Yes, ah, quite well."

Elizabeth could see him swallow, but still had absolutely no idea what else to say. She so desperately wanted to avoid the question she knew he had come to find an answer to. "How is the clean-up from the pirates attack coming along?" She asked as he drew near, again hearing her voice squeak and quaver.

"Quite well. Already we have completed work at the fort, and are now focusing on the town."

Elizabeth nodded in response, glancing to the tray of tea that had been left on the small table before her. When she looked back, Norrington was right beside her, and squatting down on a knee and gazing at her face.

"Elizabeth, I have never received an answer to the question I asked of you." He began.

Elizabeth tried to play dumb by shaking her head and shrugging with a confused expression on her face. Unfortunately, the Commodore saw through it.

"Elizabeth, will you do me the greatest honour, of becoming my wife?" He asked her gently, taking both her hands from her lap, clasping them together in his.

Elizabeth stared at him, unable to form words. She knew she had to say yes as to avoid suspicion, but at the same time, all she could think of was Will. She wanted him to be the man asking her this question now, and she was well aware of the fact that if she did agree to marry James Norrington, he would stay away, and never see her again apart from the occasional society do, and Elizabeth knew she couldn't bear that.

"James!" Elizabeth managed to get out after several failed attempts at saying his name. "This is such a surprise!" Norrington just looked at her, sensing she was trying to find a way of saying no.

"If you wish to decline my proposal, please do so without holding me in suspense for a time which would be so painful to me." He said, earning a confused look from Elizabeth.

_Oh great, he's given me a way out! _Elizabeth thought to herself, before remembering how not-easy it was going to be in getting away with such a decision.

"James no that is not the reason for my neglect in giving you a response. I just need time to think." She said.

Norrington stood up sharply, moving to the door. "It has been a week, Miss Swann," Elizabeth had followed him in standing up, but hearing him address her so formally, and in such a cold tone, made her freeze. "I can recognize when my attentions are not well received. I shall not call on you again." And with that, he opened the door and strode out.

"James!" Elizabeth called, chasing after him, but giving up as she watched him stride out the door, clamber into his carriage, and disappear down the drive.

"Lizbeth?" Elizabeth turned at the sound of her brother's voice.

"Oh Thomas, I'm so confused!" She sighed, moving towards him.

"Has the Commodore left already?" He asked looking past her out the door.

"He sensed my discomfort in response to his attentions, and withdrew his proposal." Elizabeth responded.

Thomas nodded, before taking her hand and leading her back into the parlor, shutting the door behind them. "But why are you confused? You didn't want to marry him, and now he has saved you from an uncomfortable situation." He spoke as Elizabeth reclaimed her seat.

"Maybe so. But now I have to fend of father's questions as to _why _he did so. He is still going to see this as a decline on my part, and therefore he shall be asking me for why I have declined. And we both know father's reaction if I say I don't love the Commodore." She responded.

"He shall laugh and say Love doesn't mean anything nowadays." He took the seat beside her. "I could talk to him?" He suggested. Elizabeth looked to him excitedly. "Hypothetically of course." He added as he saw her expression.

Elizabeth sighed, looking away from him, focusing her attention on a detail of the rug. "Even if you do speak to father, and it won't matter what sense you employ, he shall still refuse Will as a son in-law."

Thomas sighed biting his lip, and was about to respond when the door's opened, and Arthur and their father entered. "Ah Thomas, there you are." The eldest man spoke. "Come, I must speak with you."

Arthur looked to Elizabeth, and at seeing her expression, lowered his eyebrows in thought as Elizabeth knew he was trying to read her.

"Elizabeth, I am surprised I have not seen the Commodore this morning." The Governor spoke noticing Elizabeth as Thomas stood.

"Well before you speak to me, I must speak to you, father." Thomas cut in before Elizabeth could respond.

Elizabeth recognized her time to escape the room, and excused herself, citing a pillow whose embroidery she needed to finish. Once inside the sitting room to the rear of the house, whose view looked up the hill behind the house, and picking up the said pillow, Elizabeth tried to be optimistic in her thoughts for what Thomas was going to say, and thus forcing negative thoughts from her mind.

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	18. Confusion

_I don't have any idea what to say. I swear to you, one, two, three or however many months ago when I last updated, I had absolutely no intention of waiting one, two or three months to post again._

_I am so sorry to all of you who have been waiting for an update, or given up on me posting, I really do appreciate it if you don't hate me, and all I can do is promise and swear never to leave you hanging for so long again. _

_Having said all that, luckily (for me that is) this story is almost finished. I'm going to say that there are about two or three chapters still to come, but as I still haven't actually put pen to paper on them (so to speak) that will probably change._

_Again, I'm so sorry to leave this story untouched for so long, and hopefully chapter 18 will be posted within the next few weeks._

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Confusion

Will didn't know what was running through his mind. Ever since he'd left the prison, his father's words had been ringing in his ears. Finding solace before the furnace in the smithy, he resumed creating the sword he had begun making not so long ago. However it was to no avail, and three hit fingers later, he was back on the street, sitting against a pile of wood, staring up at the Governor's mansion, and wondering about how crazy he really was.

He'd known for a long time that he wanted to be with Elizabeth for the rest of his life, however, managing to marry her, especially with his father's past hanging over his present like an invisible and unmoving anvil, was not going to be an easy feat.

"You are a Turner." His father had said. "Remember what Turners are! We are fighters! We do not lay down when what we want is to far from our grasp!" Will had no idea whether his father had sensed Will's love for a woman he could not have, or was merely reminding his eldest son that it took him three years to convince General Buckland that he was worthy of his daughter.

Will sighed, allowing his head to fall back against the wooden wall of the building behind him, before he observed members of the navy led by Norrington along the street. As Will watched them, his eyes flicked onto the Commodore, who was staring down at the dusty and dirty man beneath him. Will felt cold as he observed the steely glare penetrate him, despite the Commodore only glancing at Will for a moment.

Yet, on the procession went, around the corner, and down the street which led to the navy docks. Will's eyes lingered on the spot where they had disappeared around the corner for many moments after, confused and fearful of why the second most powerful man in Port Royal appeared to despise him.

"Oh, William, thank heavens!" Will was startled from his reverie by the sound of his mother's voice.

"Mother, what on earth are you doing down here?" Will jumped to his feet, concerned by her evident distress.

"The Governor and Thomas Swann are in our sitting room wanting to speak with you! I've sent everyone out searching." She ran towards him, grabbing his hand and dragging him back the way she had come.

After a few moments of confusion freezing his body, Will's brain caught up with what his mother had said as they both ran towards their house. On the short journey all Will could think about was why the Governor and his apprentice would be in his home; had he discovered his affair with Elizabeth and come to put a stop to it?

Sprinting through the front door, Will caught a glance at his reflection and immediately wished he had a chance to clean himself up as what had been a cream shirt, was now distinctly closer to a combination of grey and brown.

"Ah, William, good to see you." Thomas spoke as Will entered, his breathing a little ragged, but not heaving as deeply as his poor mother.

"Mother, I am certain whatever business the Governor, Mister Swann and myself have, you do not need to remain. Go rest in the back parlor." Will spoke in the softest and kindest tones he could muster, remembering what her physician had said.

"Fiddlesticks!" She responded, walking through the room, and taking a seat in one of the chairs closest to the small fireplace. "The Governor in my house, wanting to speak with my eldest son, no matter how old you may be, or how un-appropriately prepared dressed, I shall remain, even if I am not partaking in active discussion." She retorted between great mouthfuls of air.

"Adelaide, as acquainted as I am with you, and thus your desire to remain, the business I have with your son regrettably, and at this stage, I would prefer to remain private." Governor Swann spoke, and Will noticed the faintest smile on his features as did so – that smile of being amusement at the exchange between mother and son before him.

Adelaide paused in comforting herself on the seat and stared over her shoulder at the Governor, giving him a look of momentary utmost loathing. However, she brought a smile to her lips – which Will recognized as bitter – and as graciously as all three men knew, excited the room.

Despite the door clicking closed slightly louder and more forced than accustomed, Will was certain that his mother was not heading down the hall to the smaller sitting room, but remaining at the door, with her ear pressed firmly to the brass keyhole.

"Now, William," the Governor began, moving from his position behind the opposite couch to Will, around to be standing before Will and offering him a seat. Will sat down bemused that the Governor would act such a way in a house not his own.

"How may I help you, sir?" Will enquired; glancing at Thomas, who, after his pleasant greeting had turned his attention to the garden outside the window.

"I am not sure if you are aware, Will," Will's confusion at the ruler of Port Royal's presence in his house heightened at hearing his name spoken so casually. "…but my youngest daughter Elizabeth was recently proposed to by Commodore Norrington." The Governor continued.

Will swallowed, thoroughly unaware as to where this discussion was going. "I was acquainted with that fact." Will responded, unable to say anything else. "However my acquaintance with that knowledge did not extend to the response."

Thomas looked over his shoulder, catching Will's eye and quietly, yet darkly, shaking his head. Will frowned slightly in response before looking to the Governor as he continued the discussion.

"Well my daughter proved to neither reject nor willingly receive the Commodore's intentions. Sensing her discomfort, Norrington receded his proposal so as not to be disappointed by my daughter were she to reject him." He spoke.

Will looked to Thomas, who was once again looking out the window. Despite not having spoken to Elizabeth since a few nights previously, Will was surprised she had not contacted him with this news. He thought she would have made every endeavor to get that information to him as quick as possible.

After a few moments of silence in which he felt quite certain that the Governor was staring at him, Will realized he needed to say something. "Well, I'm not sure what to say, or what you want to say to me, for I feel that you and your son are not here to simply tell me idle gossip."

The Governor's eyebrows shot up; however he didn't say anything in response. It was Thomas instead who spoke.

"Well yes, William, that is true. After all, despite my short existence in Port Royal so far, you have been to most of the events and parties held, and therefore this, 'idle gossip' you would have heard from then, for the way my sister talks, and her elder sister Georgia, such news would hardly remain private for long." As he spoke he stepped away from the light of the window and into shadow, moving to the couch before Will and taking a seat.

"The reason myself and my son are here, William, is to enquire to any reasons that you may know why my daughter would not receive James Norrington's attentions with approval, as you have spent a lot of time with my daughter at these many parties you have attended." The Governor spoke, moving to stand beside his son.

Will swallowed, hard. Glancing at Thomas he noticed the intense gaze with which he was staring at him. However Will wasn't slow to notice the truth from Thomas, and for one of the first times in his life, Will realized he was going to have to lie to someone he really never should.

"My acquaintance with Miss Swann is nothing more than that you spoke of entertaining with my mother. We talk, yes, but if you are enquiring to where my intentions to your daughter may be directing, I have known for some time that marriage to any girl in my social circle is not going to be an event." Will spoke, looking to the floor hoping the Governor was convinced.

"One should not judge the son by the mistakes of the father." The Governor spoke slowly, setting Will's brain into overdrive. What was he saying, really?

"I am very sorry sir, but your presence here has not caused my life to become simple, but rather cause it even more confusion." Will responded looking up at the older man.

The Governor smiled, looking away. "This morning, James Norrington visited the house to see my daughter. When he didn't appear in my study, I became confused. Seeking my daughter, I was distracted from my search however by my son," he nodded to Thomas, "who spoke to me, hypothetically of course, of why the child should be judged according to the parent's actions.

"Now, at first I thought what he was saying was honestly hypothetical, however, it was when he started mentioning things that sounded familiar, such as wealth, and social standing, that I started thinking he was talking about something much closer to home." Will listened to the older man speak with his thoughts racing. Surely the Governor could not be in the process of saying what Will thought he was saying.

"But, the day is no longer young, and I have been away from my work for too long." Will who had been in the process of looking at a spot on the couch in front of him, trying to guess what was going to come next from the Governor's lips, looked up at the older man surprised that he was not going on. "I shall leave you to think about what we have discussed." He spoke heading for the door, and in the process, Will was certain he heard a flurry of muffled footsteps suggesting his mother fleeing.

"Yes sir." Will responded dumbly standing, standing as the Governor closed his hand on the doorknob, and leading Thomas out.

Standing in silence in the hallway, watching through the open door as the two men climbed into their carriage, Will couldn't comprehend just how confused he was now. Hearing his mother returning behind him, and having no desire to discuss with her everything that he knew she had just heard, rounded, bounding up the stairs and into his room, where he immediately collapsed at his desk, his head in his hands, just trying to understand what had just happened.

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	19. A Future Brightened

_So yes, it's all nearly over, and as such I am (accidentally) maintaining large gaps between posts to keep you interested. Luckily, I have only two more weeks of school and then I have a week off, and whilst I should be spending that week writing a 2000 word essay, instead I hope to finish this off._

_Thanks for all the reviews, be they here or on they are all much appreciated._

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A Future Brightened

Darkness came; dinner was taken, and not once did Elizabeth see or hear her father say anything about the Commodore. She was incredibly confused.

Her eldest sister Charlotte, and her husband, as per usual, spent the evening with them, and as such, took up most of her father's attention, especially when baby Ethan appeared in his nurse's arms. Elizabeth didn't even manage to evoke a response from Thomas, who merely observed his sister, her husband and son, without much of a word.

Elizabeth knew that she ought to stay in her family's presence for most of the evening, but her confusion was driving her insane, and she was certain, tiring her. After two games of cards with her brother in-law, both games which he successfully defeated her in, she bid her adieus, and retired to her room.

Esther was surprised to see her arrive much earlier than anticipated, but Elizabeth simply responded that she was tired. As such, Esther set to work on preparing Elizabeth for bed, and when completed, left her charge alone.

But Elizabeth could not sleep. Her brain was racking over every single detail that had occurred that day, from the moment the Commodore left, to now. But she could find no answer to her many predicaments.

Hearing a creak at the door, Elizabeth was aware that Esther would be checking constantly, to make sure Elizabeth was asleep, and knowing that most of that would be done by checking the light from below her door, Elizabeth promptly blew out the candle beside her bed.

Her room, now bathed in the cool blue glow of the night, calmed Elizabeth greatly, but still she could not find the ability to sleep.

Leaving the warmth of her bed, she moved to the door leading to her small balcony, opening it, and allowing the curtains to flutter in the soft evening Caribbean breeze. Leaning against the doorframe and staring out to the bay, Elizabeth found herself thinking about her life here, and how different England would be too her.

England, with its four seasons, and considerably cooler weather, seemed like a distant dream, despite Elizabeth's knowledge that for a small time in her life, it had been her home. Yes she missed it, that large house in the countryside, where she still held vivid memories of running in the fields of long golden grass with Georgia, before adulthood had changed her; memories of her mother, often painting images of the land or of various animals.

At this thought, Elizabeth sighed. Would her mother have been able to help her in her current life? Would she have influence over her father, and allow her to marry William Turner, or would Elizabeth be a completely different person? Already married, and with a litter of children?

At this Elizabeth had to laugh. For despite her mother's most probable dream of having all her daughters married, and well, she found herself quite amused that as an eighteen year old girl, and with three older sisters, two married, and only now beginning families of their own, that she would as such, have a great litter of children of her own.

But still Elizabeth sighed, before sliding down the wood, hugging her knees to her chest, and just thinking.

It was the scuffle and rustling of noise below her that caused Elizabeth to stop thinking, and force her hearing. The noise continued, and Elizabeth, moving to her feet, looked down to the wall below her, and gasping audibly when she saw Will, almost reaching her.

"Will! What on earth!" She whispered hoarsely, grabbing his attention.

Will stopped and looked up at her. He continued to climb the remaining distance as he spoke to her. "I need to talk to you."

Elizabeth didn't respond as Will swung himself over the railing, and taking her in his arms in a warm hug. "What's going on?" She asked him, still whispering, and leading him into her room.

"I've been going crazy for hours." He responded, as they both took a seat on her bed. "Your father and brother visited me today." Elizabeth gasped. She had seen her father and Thomas leave the house, and only observed what appeared to be an argument, unable to hear what was being said.

"I know, it surprised me too, as I was certain your father had found out about us, and was coming to tell me off. But instead, I think he told me to continue my pursuit." Will finished, wondering why Elizabeth hadn't lit a light.

"What? And I can't turn any lights on or Esther will think I'm still awake." Elizabeth said, reading Will's mind. "My father encouraged you to pursue me?"

"But the thing is, I was under the impression that Thomas approves of us, but his expression throughout was blank, almost as though he detests the idea of you and I marrying. Having said that, I also think that your father merely holds suspicions about us, and today was a test. I mean, that would explain Thomas's expression wouldn't it?"

Elizabeth nodded, looking to the floor thinking. "It would, and if he were to show approval to the idea of us marrying, it would prove my father's suspicions to be correct." She was thinking out loud, but Will could only nod and murmur approval to her mindset. "Did he give you any signs? Any marks to work with?" Elizabeth turned to Will.

Will nodded. "When your father would pose a question to me, he sometimes shook his head slightly when his father wasn't looking, or else was just looking at me, like he was pleading. Often they were moments when there was a possibility I might say the wrong thing."

Elizabeth looked back to her thinking point, now especially confused. "James Norrington visited today."

"I know; your father mentioned it, and the fact that you no longer pose a possibility of becoming Mrs. James Norrington." Will spoke.

"You see that's what doesn't make any sense! My father was pressing that marriage, and so now I'm confused as to why he hasn't said anything about it not happening! He hasn't even spoken to-" Elizabeth was cut off when her bedroom door burst open, and Thomas strode into the room. "Thomas!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

Will, who was partially hidden from the door by one of the bed posts, had immediately dived for cover and was now hiding under Elizabeth's bed. Elizabeth glanced in the direction of Will, and upon seeing him absent, stared back at Thomas who was now shutting Elizabeth's door and locking it.

"When you have company, Lizbeth, it will do you good to remember to lock your door." He looked at her, a knowing look.

"I don't know what you mean." Elizabeth responded, moving to get back into bed.

Thomas smiled, crossing over to her, before kneeling down at her bed, lifting the sheets and staring under, and as such, seeing Will. "You can come out now, Mister Turner." He said, dropping the sheets and standing.

A few moments later and Elizabeth was feeling incredibly uncomfortable. On one side of the bed was her brother, and the other, her lover.

"I noticed movement out the parlor window, and crossing to it, I saw you," he nodded to Will; "crossing the garden, before climbing up the wall." Will swallowed, certain a reprimand was coming. "Next time you plan such a thing, be sure to ensure your movements are not observed."

"You want him to come here again?" Elizabeth asked confused.

Thomas didn't respond to the question. "Father has suspicions of you both." He said simply. "Georgia has heard and seen things and mentioned them too him. When I spoke to father today, we got into an argument. You see William, my father today had every intention of warning you away from Elizabeth. Our argument was extensive. I told him that no matter what your father did, you are a good man; you are honest, you are true, and you make my sister happy, and from all accounts, you are nothing like the man your father was. I told this to my father, and reminded him that we cannot judge children by the actions of their parents. If that was the case no one would take our Royal family seriously, or pay them the respect they deserve. There were a number of other examples I gave, which I shan't mention here.

"Instead I shall tell you this, word will get out about Norrington's rejected proposal, and I assure you that is what they will here. Lay low for a while, and in a few months, display the proper attentions of courtship. Do this, and in six months, you'll both probably be living in a small cottage somewhere behind this hill." He looked between the two of them with mild amusement, before moving to leave.

"So, today, he was approving me as a possible son in-law?" Will asked to Thomas's back.

"No, he was approving you as a possible courtier of his youngest daughter. He shan't approve you as a possible son in-law until he has reason too." Thomas responded staring at Will.

Will looked to Elizabeth, who was beaming up at him, and smiled at her. "And to think," Will began quietly; "if this hadn't happened, tomorrow I would have considered demanding it too." Elizabeth's smile softened, but her eyes maintained their brightness.

"Goodnight Lizbeth." Thomas said from the doorway, disappearing, as Elizabeth moved onto her knees, pulled Will to her, kissing him deeply whilst wrapping her arms around his neck.

--§--

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	20. Asking Permission

_It has recently come to my attention that far too much time is passing between posts of this story. Therefore, i hastened to the computer file which contains this story, and wrote this chapter. I am once again very sorry for the extent of time between my updates, and as always, i hope to post another chapter very soon, although given my track record, you probably won't be seeing another change here for another month._

Asking Permission

A number of months passed…four to be precise, because both Will and Elizabeth counted them. Four months of being good people, only showing minimal interaction at parties, and no longer disappearing for periods. But now both of them were anxious, and desperately missing one another.

Will had decided that four months was a long enough period to wait, and was now just attempting to build up courage and the right speech, to approach the governor regarding a possible courtship of his youngest daughter. The only problem was nerves.

For the past week, Will had walked up that hill, and through the Swann manor's gates, only to almost immediately run back to his home. But today, no matter what, he was not going to run back.

After slapping his face a few times, he stepped from the study and headed for his room to change, almost bumping into his brother Anthony in the process. In his room he quickly dressed into one of his finer suits, before immediately heading out.

Once again the Swann manor stood tall and imposing before him. Will glanced towards one of the larger trees, the one he always used to sneak into the garden for it offered great protection, then on to the path he would take when he was sneaking to Elizabeth's room. For a moment he felt his feet begin to lead him in that direction, before remembering what he was here to do, biting his tongue, and striding towards the front door.

When Will was admitted to the house, he immediately heard the sound of Elizabeth's laugh coming from one of the side rooms, and immediately wished he could be in there with her. Still biting his tongue, he reluctantly followed the pompous-looking butler up the stairs to Governor Swann's study.

"William Turner to see you sir." Will heard the Butler announce, whilst he remained in the hallway, feeling his pants begin to itch the back of his leg, and attempting to scratch it with one of his shoes. A moment later the door reopened, with the butler merely looking down his nose at Will, who once again felt as though his heart was about to leap from his chest.

"You can go in now." The butler said, keeping his head high and walking away.

Will was about to enter the study when his gaze was caught by the woman he was doing this for. Elizabeth had turned the corner, and upon seeing him, immediately stopped, and a bright beaming smile covered her face. Will returned her smile, before looking into the open study, and entering.

--§--

The moment Will entered her father's study, Elizabeth bolted for the door, pressing her ear against the lock and listening to the conversation from within. The moment she had seen him at the door her heart stopped, for she could only assume that he was in her house at that very moment, visiting her father, to ask his permission towards courting her. And as she continued to listen to the conversation, her heart only beat harder.

--§--

Will slowly stepped into the study of the most powerful man in Port Royal, eyeing everything, from the décor, to the two most prominent paintings in the room – one of himself, and the second of his late wife, the latter being the larger.

"Close the door, please." The Governor spoke, without looking up from the document he was reading.

Will did as he was told, catching a glance of fluttering skirts as he did so, and realizing that Elizabeth was most probably going to attempt to listen to as much of the conversation as she could through the door.

"Now, Mister Turner;" Will felt his body jump at the sound of the Governor's voice, turning to see him placing his quill aside, and standing. "What can I do for you?" He asked, stepping around his desk.

Will paused, momentarily forgetting what he was supposed to be doing, and in a most ungraceful turn of events, merely uttering a selection of monosyllabic sounds. The Governor, however, continued to watch him.

Will stopped, his brain clicking into 'work' mode, and taking a deep breath, prepared to voice his proposal. "I wish to marry your daughter." Immediately that the words came out Will cringed. "I mean, court your daughter. Elizabeth, that is." Will corrected, feeling his face burn and only imagining how red it was going to finish.

The Governor meanwhile, looked amused at Will's initial request, and even after he had corrected himself, held a smile to his face. "My dear William, you are very eager, and as my son Thomas has said of you, very true and good." He said, approaching Will who only felt as though he was shrinking. "But I could only accept your proposal for marrying my youngest daughter should I truly be aware of your feelings for her, and as you rightly corrected yourself, those feelings can only be gathered from a decent courtship."

Will felt his heart pick up, sensing an approval to his desired question, and that which was accidentally uttered.

"I shall allow you to court my daughter, but I pray that should any indecency occur, my heightened feelings towards you and your family shall be removed, and no interaction with my daughter shall be further permitted." Will swallowed, hard, for he couldn't help but know that at the next party, he and Elizabeth would most probably return to old ways of sneaking away from parties for a period to be in each other's embrace. Eventually however he realized he had to respond.

"I can assure you sir, I have no intention of harming your daughter indecently, or tarnishing her reputation. For a long while I have admired her, but stepped aside when Commodore Norrington's affections were known. However, since I heard news of his courtship ending, my one desire has been to get to know her, I was just unsure of how long to wait to come to you for permission." Will found himself saying quicker than hoped, and more to one of the Governor's hands.

The Governor merely nodded, not completely convinced of this statement, but otherwise convinced of the young man's character. He turned away from Will and headed for the windows, looking down at the town below. "Well, as I am certain that you are aware, Lord and Lady Knoll are holding a ball for their son Tobias's recent engagement, and I am certain that you will be there. I shall have Elizabeth know of a potential few moments with you, and to be courteous." He stated, turning back to his desk and taking a seat.

Will nodded, bowing weakly where he was standing, and half turning away, before turning back to face the Governor. A few moments of silence passed as Will watched the Governor take his quill once more and begin writing, expecting something else to be said.

"Is there another matter you wish to discuss?" The Governor had stopped writing and was looking at Will, once again with an expression of mild amusement.

Will felt his cheeks once again flush. "No, sir, no. Thank you, thank you. Good day." He repeated, stepping backwards towards the door, feeling the handle and slipping out, relieved to be in darkness, and surprised Elizabeth was no-where to be seen. But, clapping his hands together lightly, he left the house, his spirits considerably higher than when he first entered.

--§--

Elizabeth however, hearing her father's muffled approval of Will's request, spent a moment internally dancing, before rushing off to her room. Inside, she fell onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling, imagining the coming ball at the Knoll's, and fantasizing about dancing every number with Will, and, just as they were leaving, having him press a gentle kiss to her hand, or her mouth, she didn't care.

Suddenly a party of dull possibilities was filled with brightness and excitement.

--§--

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	21. The Beginning

_To my faithful readers, _

_Once again I must apologize profusely for taking so long to update this. I can honestly find no reason other than simple laziness on my part for leaving it so long as school has finished for the year. But I hope to have this story finished and posted as soon as I can, and not drag the final few chapters (I'm estimating) out until Christmas 2008._

_Again, I am very, very sorry for my laziness in posting. My only wish is that you continue to enjoy my story._

The Beginning

It wasn't an especially eventful evening. People arrived, drank wine, feasted on the many exotic foods the Caribbean offered, danced; the women gossiped; the men talked business, and then everyone left. But one thing that had everyone's tongue's wagging, was the amount of attention, or lack there of, Governor Swann paid William Turner.

From the moment the Swann party arrived at the Knoll's home, 'the Turner boy' and Elizabeth had been together.

"Now Weatherby, you must tell me what you're doing allowing Turner near your Elizabeth." One asked.

The Governor turned to the man who had spoken, patted him on the shoulder, before responding; "Because, I have to come to the realization that one cannot always judge a child by the parents." Few people noticed the look Thomas Swann passed his father, nor the look the Governor returned. "William Turner is the grand-son of a man many people in Port Royal hold in high regard, despite him not even being alive today. Actions we can see, but punishing he who is innocent is a great injustice."

Elizabeth and Will however, were particularly unfazed by the tongue wagging most people had. They danced most of the dances together, ventured out onto the sea-gazing balcony to enjoy the light breeze and rarely were seen with anyone else.

At the end of the night when they parted, few missed the length of time Will's lips remained in contact with Elizabeth's hand.

_She stared at herself in the mirror. Everything was just perfect. Her corset was pulled so tight she had the perfect shape, despite her bosom threatening to spill. Now she understood why Victoria was so against a low rise dress. But Elizabeth didn't care, because she knew the moment Will saw her, he would, well, lose control? She giggled and blushed at the thought._

_Elizabeth looked in the mirror and licked her lips at the prospect of a certain ravishing she would receive at the night's end._

_But wicked thoughts left her mind when she saw her father; his best wig atop his head, offering her his arm. Then suddenly they were at the church, walking up the aisle, and there was Will, but he didn't look shocked, instead he was calling her name._

_Elizabeth frowned, as no-one in the church seemed to have noticed Will's shouting. She turned to her father, and found that he was now the one shouting her name, whilst rubbing her back, but his arms didn't appear to be doing it._

"Elizabeth!" Elizabeth opened her eyes to find her sister Victoria sitting on her bed. "You dummy and sleepy-head. Come on, get up. It's well past noon and I must know what's going on!"

Elizabeth was still in the process of rubbing sleep from her eyes when she heard her door shut, and found Victoria had gone. Unsure of what precisely had just occurred, Elizabeth found her robe and shrugged into it, before opening her balcony doors and allowing fresh air to flood into the room.

Will found himself waking up considerably early. Glancing in the direction of his windows, he could already tell that it was still night. Groaning, he rolled onto his other side, finding the jug of water and pouring himself a glass.

One of the many side effects of wine he would always hate, the headache and the stomach ache. And unfortunately water would never be offered at the parties he so regularly attended.

Hours later, and still unable to sleep, and with the growth of light arriving beneath his thick curtains, Will rolled from his bed, and dressed.

Slipping from his room, he slid down the stairs and headed for the kitchen, needing Mrs. Howard's amazing remedy for headaches. Although it tasted like mud from the streets, (not that Will would know what mud from the streets tasted like) Will had never been game to ask precisely what it was that slid down his throat.

Reaching the kitchen, and pushing open the door, Will would never be able to get used to the great rush of hot air that met him as he opened the door.

"Good morning sir Will." Mrs. Howard's friendly voice sounded as Will's hands covered his eyes, trying to block the surge of heat. As per usual, he failed to notice the amused smirk that covered her face as she watched him enter her 'hot-house'.

Will nodded after dropping his hands. "How can you work in these temperatures?" He asked her, moving into the room and taking a seat at the table.

"The same way you do in the smithy." She retorted chuckling, moving away from the table to the arguer, placing a bowl on the bench beside whilst stoking the fire for a few moments.

"But a blacksmith needs a lot of heat to be able to bend the metal he works with." Will moaned in response, rubbing his temple.

Mrs. Howard turned back to him, picking up the bowl and beginning to beat the contents fiercely. "Well, good sir, a cook needs a lot of heat to be able to feed food to her employers without making them sick. You would turn up your nose at raw eggs, and meat that is still oozing blood." She was still chuckling as she spoke.

Will smiled to himself, their usual banter of these moments always held it, mainly because his mother wasn't around. Being raised an aristocrat had taught her how to act with the family staff, but Will had never been able to look at any of them with the same air that his mother did.

"A steak needs to be cooked right through. But, you forget how rare my dear mother likes her steaks." He smiled at her.

Mrs. Howard nodded thoughtfully. "True; but if I were to serve her a raw steak, she would sack me! There must always be some level of heat involved. And for the way your mother likes hers, a lot of heat must be applied, but for a very short time."

There banter continued for a while longer, with Will watching as she prepared the breakfast, and Will, eagerly anticipating her headache remedy.

An hour later, opting out of having breakfast with his mother and brothers (having already ingested it in the company of Mrs. Howard) Will left the house, and headed out into the sunshine. He wasn't planning on walking far, just a light walk around the town, specifically to allow his lungs to enjoy fresh air, as they were still full of smoke from the night before.

Maybe he would visit Elizabeth; they could sit in the vast Swann estate, talking; or they could go for a walk in the town. He continued his wanderings, with his mind set that he would end up with Elizabeth.

Elizabeth found Victoria in the parlor a while later. With sleep still fogging her vision and mental functioning, Victoria's greeting of 'Good Morning' was met with little more than a mismatched collection of sounds that a linguist may have been able to decipher.

"Well aren't you a vision of elegance." Victoria giggled, placing the book she had been reading to a side.

Elizabeth looked to her sister through purposeful half-open lashes. "I detest being woken so early in the morning after a party." She groaned, falling into a chair, in a position that was most un-lady-like.

"Come now dear sister. It is barely twenty minutes past ten. The morning is all but over!"

Elizabeth made a great effort to straighten so she could look at her sister. "Exactly!" she slumped back into the cushions.

Victoria moved from the sofa she was sitting on, to stand before her little sister. "Now tell me, since when have you been madly in love with William Turner?"

At this statement Elizabeth opened her eyes wide, before promptly closing them again. She had not been expecting Victoria's round and perfect strawberries and cream complexion to be but a few inches away from Elizabeth's nose. Victoria giggled at Elizabeth's reaction.

"Madly in love with William Turner? You must have been imagining things." Elizabeth responded, but she could feel her cheeks flushing. Why did her body have to betray her?

Victoria nodded. "Perhaps. But judging by your reaction, your current color, and the way you could not keep your eyes off of him last night, there is something that beats within your bosom that is so much more than simple pleasure of acquaintance."

"Don't speak in long words!" Elizabeth groaned.

Victoria rolled her eyes. "I'd hardly call acquaintance a _long_ word." She imitated Elizabeth's groan.

Elizabeth looked at her, eyes shooting daggers. "I like William Turner, yes. I think he is very likeable." Elizabeth attempted a response, knowing Victoria well enough to know she wouldn't stop hounding Elizabeth for an answer.

(She had tried avoiding Victoria's questions once before. That night at the dinner table, Victoria had managed to have everyone else wanting to know why she preferred beige to cream.)

Victoria shook her head. "Come now, Elizabeth. You think of him a great deal more than 'likeable'."

Elizabeth swallowed. "What does it matter how I feel for him?" She attempted to go for another angle. "For all I know, the next party we are in attendance of together we may not speak with each other but for a moment, enjoying other people's entertainments?"

Victoria's eyes narrowed, but she shrugged. "Perhaps, but we shall see."

Elizabeth watched as her sister picked up the book she had been reading, and continue. She knew she was by no means off the hook, and only that at the next party she would be watching closely. And Elizabeth had no desire whatsoever to spend a few moments away from Will's company.

But did it matter? Elizabeth wasn't sure. She picked herself up from the chair and headed for the dining room, feeling a rumble escape her belly. But before she had made it into the dining room, Hamish Olsen, the family's long-standing butler, was standing before her, informing her that William Turner was in the parlor.

Elizabeth returned to the room she had just left, and as she entered, Victoria exited, a knowing expression and smirk on her face.

Twenty minutes later, Victoria's face was forgotten by Elizabeth, as she and Will sat in the sunshine amongst a collection of tall trees, enjoying nothing but the presence of the other.

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_A/N: As my current financial situation is dismal, I'm working two jobs over my summer break. So if I don't update soon, that is my only excuse. Come February, and a post has still not been put up, feel free to hunt me down and hurt me._


	22. Love Her, Protect Her

_It's finally here! The final chapter of this wonderful odyessy and adventure! I would like to thank everyone who has read this story, enjoyed it, reviewed it, and been the reason for keeping me writing. _

_But before you get to disheartened by the end, there is an epilogue still to come, although when, I don't know._

Love her, protect her

Today was the day, he thought. Three months had passed since they first sent tongues wagging by spending most of one evening together. Will couldn't wait any longer. Stories of the Governor's ailing health, (he had collapsed at a party, and had been rarely seen in public since) were spreading like wildfire through the town, and Will was desperate to gain one last favor from him, before the rumors were proven true.

Sitting at the small desk in his room, he pulled a sheet of paper before him, and began writing. Given his last visit to the Governor's private library had been almost a disaster from Will's point of view (although he still remembered clearly the elder man's amused expression as he gave Will his blessing to pursue Elizabeth), Will didn't want to face the same excruciating level of embarrassment.

Before he knew it, Will had written four pages detailing the love he felt for Elizabeth, and his desire to make her his wife. After signing his name, Will stared at the four sheets of paper, before throwing them in the fire grate.

"Pathetic." He said to himself.

It wasn't the fact that he had written four pages, but the fact that he was intending to present these four pages to the Governor.

"Governor Swann will not allow a man to marry Elizabeth who isn't even capable of conversing without the aide of a note-sheet." He said to the balls of scrunched up paper.

Summoning his man, Will began to prepare himself for the day, but in the same way he would a party. He took a bath, dressed in not his finest clothes, but his finest day clothes, attempted to eat some breakfast, but found his stomach was once again churning out butterflies that he could barely keep down a bite of toast, steadied himself, and left the house.

"Don't forget to be articulate!" He heard his mother shouting from her bedroom window. As if he needed reminding of his last meeting with the governor.

After what felt like hours, he arrived at the Swann mansion, and was shown into the back parlor, where the Governor was staring out the windows.

"Governor Swann." Will greeted the ailing man, who immediately left the comfort of the small sofa and crossed to the windows.

"When I feel that my study has become too stuffy I come back here. I don't like my daughters using this room, although Elizabeth certainly found she was quite capable of sneaking in when she was younger." He was looking at one of the small table-legs, where a child had obviously painted. "Its funny how there was a time when I was furious with her, but in recent times, I can't look anywhere else."

Will swallowed. The Governor paused. Will hoped he could use this break to begin his completely unpracticed speech.

"Sir I," He began, before he was cut off.

"You've come to ask me for permission to marry Elizabeth, haven't you?" The Governor finished a sentence Will was going to say later. But now, he had to be honest.

"Yes, I have." Will responded.

The ailing Governor turned around to face the young man. "I'm surprised you haven't come sooner."

"Sir?" Will was confused. Three months he felt had been an adequate time for he and Elizabeth to publicly build up an acquaintance for which marriage could only follow.

"I watch you two, every time you are together. You are not at all like other couples. You both look at each other as though you are on completely equal terms, as though you have been married for years. I see you look at her with nothing but love in your eyes, and I see the same from her. I see you converse so closely; I see you disappear from the room together, arm in arm, neither pulling away. I see you when the night ends as you bid each other goodnight. What you both have is something that few of us ever do find, but spend our lifetimes searching.

"I never had that relationship with my late wife. I often felt that she viewed me as pompous and perhaps even arrogant. I am by no means saying that I didn't love my wife; because I shall tell you right now that her death rocked me completely. I am simply saying that even those of us who love each other, there is always something about the other person we want to change.

"But you and Elizabeth, well, is there anything you want about her to change?" The elder man asked.

Will was so completely surprised by the speed of ending of the Governor's speech that he took longer to respond than necessary. But seeing as how the ball of conversation was now in his court, Will was going to waste no time in reciting his speech for Elizabeth's father.

"Sir, I have loved Elizabeth from almost the first time I met her; one morning in the rain. Since that moment, the time I have spent with her I have discovered a young woman who is vibrant and fiery, and who is passionate, sweet, loving and true. Her nature of rebelliousness I can not argue with, for it keeps those around her on her toes. I believe that she loves deepest those around her, and that I can complete her, in the same way that I feel she completes me."

Will finished and watched the elder man who held a small smile on his face. The Governor, who had been facing Will throughout, now turned away and sat back down on the small sofa he had been residing when Will arrived.

"Come, William. What I wish to say to you I do not wish to say to thin air." He held up a hand and beckoned Will to approach.

Will stepped deeper into the room, around the sofa the Governor was sitting on, and taking a seat on the sofa opposite.

"I have no intention of hearing about your love for my youngest daughter, because I do not need to be sold on it. When the time existed that I believed you to be of poor sort, I did not know your character. That time, thankfully, has passed. Since then, I have observed you closely. When you first visited me and asked permission to court Elizabeth, I knew that it would likely end in marriage, but I wanted to be certain that what happened to your mother would not happen to my daughter."

Will swallowed.

"You are very lucky that I had a little to do with your father. Despite the obviousness of his love for Adelaide Price, his character was not as true as yours. His eyes would often light up at the prospect of freedom on the seas, treasure, riches and piracy." He paused observing Will. "Suffice to say that in those four ideas, you remained nonchalant."

He paused, holding a hand to his chest for a few moments, his composure changing.

"Sir, should I call for someone?" Will asked after a beat.

The governor stopped, rolled his shoulders quickly, before looking back to Will. "There is no need; the pain is only fleeting.

"William, I would like for this meeting to end now, and for you to promise me one thing."

Will nodded. "Yes sir, anything."

"I want you to marry my dear Elizabeth, love her, protect her and look after her for the rest of your life." He took Will's hand in his as he spoke, and didn't release him until Will agreed.

As the Governor watched the young man leave he sighed to himself; that was one of the finest men in all of his acquaintance. He was not a soldier or a sailor, or even a man of politics, but he was a man with loyalty, character and distinction, and that was the type of man he wished all of his daughters could have married.

He relaxed back into his chair, enjoying the feel of the soft cotton, wood and leather, and waited for news of his youngest daughter's engagement to emerge.

--§--

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